The Philippines government has been urged to impose a total ban on commercial logging operations in the country by senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel.
Mr Pimentel reminded president Gloria Arroyo about her promise of a complete ban following last December’s floods and landslides which killed about 1,000 people.
He said he was concerned about the government’s lifting of a 16-year-old logging ban in Eastern Samar, allowing San Jose Timber Corporation to log in a 95,770m2 concession.
Mr Pimentel said the country’s old-growth forest cover had dwindled from 70% in 1990 to only 18.3% in 1999.
