Forest destruction for charcoal

 Here, I took photos this morning. Newly cut trees for charcoal making.

The boy took out his small chain saw he used to cut trees this morning. My dog passing by.

The sleeping quarter of people doing the charcoal production.

The sarong-tricycle used to transport newly-cut trees to the charcoal pit area.

Big acacia aura tree, they must have cut this only yesterday.

Even coconut trees were felled and sold for coco lumber. 

I will meet these agents this morning at the Brgy Hall with Brgy Captain Roger Fernandez. The Millora family wants to cut ALL cuttings, illegal cutting as they do not have the permission of the family, no permission from the DENR or Barangay, perhaps no permission even from the RE company that they work for.

Meanwhile I will send these photos to DENR Sec. Popo Lotilla. In case the local DENR is unaware or aware but not doing to stop the cutting of so many trees.

If the agents will continue cutting after our meeting this morning at the Brgy Hall, I will mention their names.

Update:

Only 2 agents showed up at the Brgy Hall, the engineer and another male agent did not show up. I told Brgy. Capt. Fernandez that the Millora family wants all cutting of trees to stop until the farm is fully paid.

The farm will soon become a solar facility

I've been going to the Millora Farm since 1992, I enjoyed planting trees, getting my hands dirty with soil, see green spaces. The family decided to sell the farm, the buyer is an RE company and they bought many lands in Brgy Laguit Padilla, Bugallon, Pangasinan, for a 530 MW solar facility. I got this number from the DOE website.

Photos of my treehouse in the farm from 8 years ago, March 8, 2017

http://sustaindevelopment.blogspot.com/2017/03/my-treehouse-is-13-years-old.html

The buyer is interested only in putting up solar facility. But their agents came in after initial payment with the family, brought their mag ruling and started cutting many trees. Here, the trees that I personally planted near my treehouse along with our caretaker, been felled down.

They cut these trees even if the farm is not fully paid yet. And even if they do not have a DENR permit to cut, I think not even a Brgy permit.

Follow up post tomorrow.

Construction of my treehouse in 2003

My treehouse in a barrio in Bugallon, Pangasinan was constructed in 2004. I have an architect who help design it and trained the local carpenters how to execute things -- my friend and former Narra dormmate in UP Diliman, Clifford Espinosa. 

Since the house is perched on a big and live mahogany tree, construction started from the top, the trusses of the roof of the second floor. Then the 2nd floor was built, then the 1st floor. Bottom right photo is Clifford with another friend from UP, Calmar Palma. Another friend from UP who came that day was Ding Aguila, not in the picture.

Clifford in another photo bottom left, support carpenter Charlie Espinosa looking up. Bottom right, that's me trying the manual driller.

Roof is cogon, well arranged. Danny Paragas and his father Nong Endring Paragas looking.

Near-finished house, after about 3 months.

This is the original treehouse in that tree, a small hut. It was dismantled so that the bigger, 2-storey treehouse could replace it.

Inside the treehouse, this photo taken about 2 years ago.

Thanks Clifford, thanks carpenters and others who helped.

More views from my barrio hut

These photos were taken last November-December 2018. Second cropping rice planting.

Nearby areas not planted yet.

One of my 3 cats, Kitty Rose. My two girls gave the name of the cats.

Complete attendance, 3 cats and 2 dogs, all from our house in Makati. They need bigger space, hence, I transferred them here.

My rotor tractor.

My other cat, in the treehouse in the farm. She's a really hunter cat -- can catch and kill small snakes, birds, rats, bull frogs, etc.

My "pugpog" barrio truck

From the modest income of my rotor tractor (2nd hand), plus additional savings, I bought/ordered for local assembly a "pugpog" (the engine sounds pug-pog-pog-pog-pog... :-)), a famous barrio truck. Japan surplus engine (either Kubota or Yanmar). I got it last month.

Danny's two kids, Ran-ran and Ren-ren, enjoy riding the pugpog. I told Danny to give it a name, "Elle-Bien" after my two girls' names.

Among the pugpog's first assignments was to gather some rocks and stones in the creek in the farm.

Sand taken from another barrio, the stones from the farm.

I made this water impounding structure, divert irrigation water during heavy rains and flood.

My treehouse, again

Posting recent pics of my treehouse in the farm in Brgy Laguit Padilla, Bugallon, Pangasinan. I don't own or lease this land, just helping a family friend take care of the property. This picture was taken last February.

The ricefield viewed from the 2nd floor of the treehouse.

Picture taken today. The ricefield has been tilled, getting ready for 1st cropping season.

Nong Endring (holding the shovel) and his two farmer friends.

My two lieutenants when I walk around the fields, Scaredy and Mylo.

Meanwhile, this is a small, temporary water impounding structure made by Nong Endring. The diverted water goes to his rice field, in front of the treehouse. Pics taken last February.

I added some stones and after less than an hour, the barrier is a bit wider, stronger.

My barrio hut

This is my barrio hut, on the 2nd floor, different from my treehouse because I don't sleep at my treehouse in the farm anymore, no electricity there. This one is in the barrio proper. Wood posts, sawali walls, and about 4-5 meters from the ground.

These photos taken last January, 2nd cropping of ricefields (owned by various farmers, not mine, I don't own or lease a piece of land there) were either harvested or to be harvested. A "fields of gold", mature rice.

My two dogs (Mylo and Scaredy) and three cats, all originally from our apartment in Makati, they have bigger space to run around there than in our house.

Feeding time. Even the chickens join.

A hen and her chicks, strolling the just-harvested rice field.