Integrated Forest Management Agreement (Philippines)

An Integrated Forest Management Agreement (IFMA) is a program of the Filipino government, described by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as follows:

"Industrial Forest Plantation refers to any tract of forestland planted to tree crops primarily to supply the raw material requirements of existing or proposed wood processing and energy generating plants, and related industries.

"It has its early beginning in 1975 as Industrial Tree Plantation (ITP) with the promulgation of PD 705 otherwise known as the “Revised Forestry Reform Code”. The implementing guidelines for which were provided in Ministry Administrative Order No. 04, series of 1980. The areas available then were the open, denuded and inadequacy stocked residual natural forest areas within the concession.

"It was renamed as Industrial Forest Management (IFM) since its coverage has been expanded to allow the planting of non-timber products like bamboo, rattan and rubber. Likewise, the activities under the program was expanded to include not just the industrial plantation development and related activities but also the management and protection of the natural forest. (Embodied under DAO No. 42, series of 1992 and DAO No. 4, series of 1997.

"[In 1999], under DAO 99-53 which superseded and repealed DAO Nos. 91-42, 94-60, and 97-04, Industrial Forest Management Agreement was again renamed as Integrated Forest Management Agreement (IFMA).

"An IFMA is a production sharing contract entered into by and between the DENR and a qualified applicant wherein the DENR grants to the latter the exclusive right to develop, manage, protect and utilize a specified area of forestland and forest resources therein for a period of 25 years and may be renewed for another 25-year period, consistent with the principle of sustainable development and in accordance with an approved Comprehensive Development and Management Plan (CDMP), and under which both parties share in its produce.

"As of 31 December 2001, 185 IFMAs were issued with an aggregate area of 612,728 hectares, out of which, a total of 124,368 hectares have been planted."

Articles and Resources

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External Resources

• Primer on Community-Based Forest Management, Department of Environment and Natural Resources
• Administrative Order No. 99-53 Regulations Governing the Integrated Forest Management Program (IFMP), Department of Environment and Natural Resources, December 23, 1999.