The fact that illegal logging continues in modern times is due to a number of factors. First, it is a lack of enforcement that allows it to continue at the pace it is doing. Although the Philippine government has stepped up its fight against illegal logging in recent years, it has not been able to stop it. Since the forest area is so vast and most of it is relatively inaccessible, the authorities simply cannot control at all [4]. According to eyewitnesses and police reports, illegal timber was seen entering the construction site of the Maremegmeg Beach Club Resort. The property is owned by Narayanee, a company whose main shareholder is Governor Alvarez`s brother, Antonio. In 2018, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources found another hotel in the area that had used illegally harvested timber. The hotel is one of several owned by Brigitte Bustamante, who told Global Witness (pdf) that she uses the same contractors as Alvarez. Maremegmeg Beach Club did not respond to Quartz`s requests.

“The spirit with which the SEP Act was introduced is one of conservation, not use,” said Chan of PNNI, an environmental lawyer. “That`s why their goal was to introduce a total ban on logging in Palawan. If this objective is not achieved by the projects currently being pursued by the government, then something is wrong. Palawan is primarily an agricultural and tribal community, making it a tourism and mining industry contradicts its well-known culture and heritage. SEP imposed a province-wide ban on commercial logging, designating natural forests, high mountain areas, threatened species habitats, and other ecologically significant areas as “maximum protection areas” or “core areas” where all tribal activities except traditional tribal activities are prohibited. Illegal logging can lead directly to deforestation and degradation. For example, illegal logging could lead to a range of environmental problems, including natural disasters, habitat loss, reduced carbon sequestration and deteriorating water quality. Most illegal timber is shipped to other countries, including Japan, the United States, China and Europe.[4] At the national level, the Philippine government banned timber exports after widespread deforestation in the 1970s. To some extent, this policy reduces timber harvesting, including illegal logging by the shrinking timber market. The ban is necessary to combat illegal logging, as the government cannot control corruption and illegal logging.[13] More than 27 floods and 17 landslides occurred each year during the first decade of the 21st century, according to the Citizens` Disaster Response Center. Statistics show that more than 1.6 million people and 24,212 people are affected by floods or landslides each year during this period.

In addition, damage to agricultural land and infrastructure results in a loss of tens of millions of pesos each year[10]. In addition, the Philippine President announced that illegal logging is one of the main causes of landslides in 2004. These landslides directly caused 1,800 deaths in Quezon province.[12] The Talaandig indigenous people of Bukidnon province had suffered from the negative influence of the protected area managed by local institutions. Section 44 of the Regulations Implementing the National Integrated System of Protected Areas Act of 1992 (NIPAS) in the Philippines declared the rights of indigenous cultural communities over ancestral lands and territories in protected areas and natural parks. However, in order to better manage the Mount Kitanglad protected area and address deforestation caused by illegal logging, managers have removed ancestral domain rights from local Indigenous peoples. However, the management of protected areas is a failure, as the rights of the indigenous population are ignored and the local culture is violated. Although illegal logging is a major problem in the Philippines, recent government and policy measures have begun to reduce its impact on the environment. Hopefully, with further work and government intervention, illegal logging in the Philippines will be virtually eradicated in the near future.

The Palawan NGO Network (PNNI) expressed similar concerns, saying illegal logging could be a prelude to mining activities. Under the Pyramid Hill Treaty, the company is prohibited from extracting minerals from old-growth forests and other ecologically important areas that are currently prohibited from mining under Palawan`s laws. However, PNNI Executive Director Robert Chan told Mongabay that “by showing that this is no longer a forest area. it will be easier to obtain permits” from the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Although illegal logging is difficult to define, this country has its definition. Executive Order 705 (Revised Forest Law) affirmed in 1975 that the State owned all forest areas. Without the authority or consent of the State, no one may sell, dispose of or transfer forest land. In addition, there is more than one definition of illegal logging, but the government defines illegal logging in the Philippines.

This is illegal logging without a logging permit issued by a forestry office. In addition, anyone is severely punished if they enter forest areas and harvest migratory crops without state permission [4]. Total forest area accounted for 70% of the Philippines` total land area in 1900,[2] while total forest area fell to 22% (over 6.5 million hectares) of the Philippines` land area in 2007.