February 28, 1974

LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS NO. 172

It is my desire that our forest resources be utilized and developed to improve our economy without sacrificing our country's ecological balance. To this end, I have given you instructions to phase out all log exports by 1976 and provide for the establishment of wood processing centers in strategic locations to increase our foreign exchange earnings and to create more employment for our people.

At the same time, I want you to take vigorous measures to strictly enforce all our forest laws and to punish all concessionaires who despoil our forests. cd i

Toward these objectives which are in the national interest, I have exercised my authority under Article XVII, Section 12 of the New Constitution to review the licenses of all timber concessions which you cancelled or terminated after a field evaluation of each licensees' performance. acd

Based on the records, I find that the cancellation of the licenses were due to violation by concessionaires of our forest laws, rules and regulations or their failure to establish processing plants as required. cdt

In view thereof, and in the exercise of the aforesaid constitutional authority, I hereby affirm the cancellation or termination of the thirty three (33) licenses issued to the licensees listed hereunder:

1. Catanduanes Mahogany, Inc.

2. Jack Arroyo

3. Trinity Lumber Corp.

4. Central Zambales Working Unit No. 2

5. Eastern Paper Mills Co.

6. Mindanao Plywood Corp.

7. Dipala Timber Co., Inc.

8. Agusmin Promotional Ent., Inc.

9. Sultana Philippines, Inc.

10. San Mariano Timber Resources Corp.

11. Makabayan Development Corp.

12. Puzon & Sons Ent., Inc.

13. Baler Forest Products, Inc.

14. Central Mindanao Wood Products

15. J.M. Javier Corp.

16. San Isidro Logging & Sawmill

17. Isabela Roque

18. Gay Incorporated

19. Alto Lumber Corp.

20. Northern Palawan Logging Corp.

21. Timber Export Inc.

22. Malalag Wood Products Corp.

23. Maco Forest Products Corp.

24. Henry Becker

25. Northeastern Timber Dev. Corp.

26. Alta Vista Logging Corp.

27. Timber & Agricultural Development Corp. cd

28. Upi Log Producers Corp.

29. Rosalina Castro

30. Ramon Y. Chu

31. Pablo Faraon Logging Ent.

32. Palanan Lumber & Plywood Co.

33. Phil-Asia Timber Ent.

You are hereby directed to implement this Letter of Instructions immediately. cd i

DONE in the City of Manila, this 28th day of February, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Four.