Planting Seeds of Self-Defeat: Effects of Unrealistic Regulations on the Caraga Wood Industry and Forest Conservation

Danilo C. Israel and Vicente B. Paqueo

No DP 2016-51, Discussion Papers from Philippine Institute for Development Studies

Abstract: Years of rapid and indiscriminate logging of Philippine forests, coupled with little reforestation, have led to more frequent, widespread, and damaging natural disasters, such as floods, landslides, and other environmental damages. With strong political will and noble intentions, President Benigno S. Aquino III issued Executive Order 23 (EO 23) in 2011. This order sought to protect the country's natural forests by imposing a total ban over logging activities and imposing stronger measures against illegal cutting. Unfortunately, EO 23 intensified the rent-seeking behavior among the regulating agencies and has led to damaging unintended economic and social consequences without accomplishing much of its avowed objectives. Moreover, there are other potentially more effective ways of protecting Philippine forests. On this score, would it possible to achieve a win-win strategy where natural forests are effectively protected without paralyzing the wood industry that provides incomes and jobs?

Keywords: Philippines; deforestation; wood industry; Caraga; forest products; log ban; Executive Order 23; natural forest; illegal logging (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-env and nep-sea
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.pids.gov.ph/publication/discussion-pap ... -forest-conservation (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:phd:dpaper:dp_2016-51

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Discussion Papers from Philippine Institute for Development Studies Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Michael Ralph M. Abrigo ().