??????? ?????? ???? - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 12 through the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office in General Santos City had inaugurated its new storage facility to secure the seized forest products on January 30.

DENR Secretary Maria Antonio Yulo-Loyzaga ordered that all CENROs shall establish storage facilities for seized forest products to ensure proper handling and safekeeping of these items that cannot be disposed of due to pending cases, particularly seized logs and timbers.

DENR is mandated to preserve the seized forest products until a final decision is released on the matter by the courts of law. DENR Memorandum Circular No. 2023-02 provides the guidelines on the establishment of storage facility. The order included turned-over logs covered by DENR-issued tree-cutting permits for development operations, as well as trees that must be cut down as part of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) road widening projects.

The inauguration was attended by OIC-PENR Officer Rosalinda B. Cortez, Ph.D., Enforcement Division Chief Atty. Florencio C. Amago, Jr., OIC-CENR Officer Elmer S. Mercado, together with the personnel of PENRO-South Cotabato, Enforcement Division, and CENRO General Santos City. ### (with report and photos by FABLlapitan-Tianchon, CENRO-GenSan Information Officer) ??????