Local authorities in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, have expressed concern that its remaining lowland forests could vanish if the extraction of forest resources, tree cutting, and informal settlements persists. The lowland forest in Montible-Anepahan—once lush and overflowing with biodiversity—is losing around a hundred trees a day, an alarming rate observed in the west coast barangays of Puerto Princesa. If left unchecked, the area’s forests and wildlife habitats will be in peril.
According to the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (City ENRO), headed by Atty. Carlo Gomez, the Montible-Anepahan area is a vital yet threatened biodiversity hotspot, facing challenges such as massive deforestation, poaching, illegal occupation, and illegal wildlife trade.
While management plans are underway, enforcement remains to be a major challenge. “Walang habas na pagtumba, pag uuling ang tatambad sa iyo, particularly sa kagubatan ng Montible na karamihan ay native species gaya ng Nato, Ipil, Kamagong, Talisay Gubat, Maladuhat, Sahing, at Apitong.
Mauubos na po, nakakaiyak makita” said Environmental Management Specialist II Romina Magtanong.
Magtanong is also the chief of the Protected Area Management Services Division of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (City ENRO).
On October 28, 2025, enforcers from City ENRO-PAMSD (Protected Area Management Services Division) apprehended two residents of Sitio Pulang Lupa, Barangay Montible, later identified as Eusebio dela Paz Ibañez and Jonathan Apid Corpuz, for using a chainsaw to cut forest trees. They were caught gathering and piling logs for charcoal production in a forested area at Km. 33, Sitio Pulang Lupa.
Pulang Lupa was once a heavily forested area before settlers started to occupy the place. Residents began building houses, cutting down trees and clearing vegetation. Today, several houses have mushroomed across what used to be a lush timberland, wiping out towering forest trees that used to line the roadside.
The City ENRO continues to prioritize the protection, conservation, and rehabilitation of biodiversity hotspots. Based on rapid biodiversity assessments, the area is home to diverse fauna such as the Palawan Hornbill, Palawan Sunbird, Palawan Peacock-Pheasant, Blue-naped Parrot, Philippine Cockatoo, bearcat, and pangolin. Also found here are native tree species such as Ipil, Apitong, Kamagong, Dao, and Red Nato.
Puerto Princesa’s remaining lowland forests urgently need clear, enforceable, and immediate policies and management strategies for protection and conservation, or face the risk of it vanishing completely, much like other forests across the country.
