By Marie Tonette Grace Marticio Tacloban City – All 31 lumberyards in Eastern Visayas have expired lumber dealer permits, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). DENR Regional Director Crizaldy Barcelo said his office has five new applications and 26 pending renewals but the permits will not be renewed unless there is at least one wood processing plant in a province. “Lumberyards in the region are not allowed to sell nor display lumber because they have expired permits. Illegal sila ngayon,” Barcelo stressed. A lumber dealer permit is only valid for one year. The two pending applications for a wood processing plant permit in Catbalogan City, Samar, and Southern Leyte, have not completed the requirements. One of the applicants is a private plantation. But it was learned that it will take years before private plantations can harvest fully-grown trees, Barcelo said. In the absence of a wood processing plant, no lumber dealer permit will be issued, he said. Police Regional Office Information Officer Supt. Bella Rentuaya told Manila Bulletin they have asked a copy from the DENR of the list of lumber dealers in the region as part of their intensified anti-illegal logging campaign. Since 2016, the regional police seized a total of 236,622.96 board feet of lumber amounting to over P18 million, and arrested 376 persons. Ir has also referred 189 cases to DENR, and 65 cases have been filed in court. “As a support unit, we need to sit down with the implementers of forestry and anti-illegal logging laws so that we can come up with some actions necessary in coordination with the DENR,” Rentuaya said.