URDANETA CITY—Forest lands in the mountains of eastern Pangasinan towns totaling 42,529 hectares are in danger of being depleted due to “kaingineros”, according to a Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer (CENRO).

Leduin Co, CENRO here told local reporters the other day that with only eight forest rangers assigned to take charge of 5,316 hectares each in the fifth and sixth districts of Pangasinan composed of 15 towns and one city, “kaingineros” pose a big problem on them.

She said that it is really impossible to guard the “kaingineros” composed of two groups: one are those who go to upland areas, clear the place and convert them to plant agricultural crops and the other, are the charcoal makers and fuel gatherers who cut down trees so they can have their produce which become their livelihood.

These practices are bad because they are depleting forest covers and are exposing the top soil which make the area prone to soil erosion, Co said.

Last month, they were able to apprehend about eight kaingineros in San Nicolas town who are to be sued by CENRO.

She added that from Sison to Umingan towns, there are already patches of cleared forest areas.

She said much as they would like to hire more forest rangers, their limited budget prevents them from doing so because of the Department of Budget and Management’s no hiring and no filling up of vacant positions policy.

“I am worried especially when LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) price went up,” Co said.

The rising cost of LPG makes charcoal making and wood gathering a good business as people shift to these products in order to save.

One sack of charcoal of four big cans sells at P110 each from the source.

Co said another problem is the encroachment of highlanders from Benguet who come to the mountainous areas in Pangasinan, clear the place, and plant vegetables like the famous “Baguio beans”.

Meanwhile, Co lauded the efforts made by Mayor Alejandrea Supnet of Natividad town who employed 28 forest rangers while Mayor Leoncio Saldivar of San Nicolas and Mayor Salvador Perez of San Manuel hired two each respectively for their municipalities.