Adoption of the Forestry Investment Road Map (FIRM) 2018-2028

DENR Administrative Order No. 2019-22

Subject: Adoption of the Forestry Investment Road Map (FIRM)

Signed: December 2, 2019 . Published: The Manila Times, December 9, 2019 . Acknowledged: ONAR, U.P. Law Center, December 12, 2019.

What the Order Does

A short adopting order that attaches the Forestry Investment Road Map 2018-2028 (Annex A) as the national blueprint for local and foreign private investment in forest lands under sustainable forest management. DENR Regional Offices implement it and report accomplishments to the Central Office and FMB. It takes effect immediately.

FIRM Vision and Banner Objective

Vision: revitalized Philippine forestry investments toward inclusive growth and sustainable development. Banner objective: raise the contribution of production forests to GDP from 0.01% to 0.14% by 2028 through private investment.

Goals

• An enabling environment with stable policies, secure tenure, incentives, and technical support.
• Additional and sustained investment in forest products and services.
• Sustainable raw material supply for globally competitive forest-based products.
• Equity and improved incomes for women and men in forest-dependent communities.

Specific Targets by 2028

• 1,439,298 ha of commercial forest plantations and 297,234 ha of fuelwood and biomass energy plantations (drawn from the Philippine Master Plan for Climate Resilient Forestry Development).
• 500,000 ha of non-timber forest product and high-value crop plantations through community-investor partnerships, and about 111,000 ha of grazing land.
• Guidelines for payment for ecosystem services, appropriate tenure instruments for investors and community partnerships, a 50% increase in upland community incomes, and 75% of open-access forest lands under management arrangements.

Investment Areas Profiled

Round wood and wood products, bamboo, rattan, biomass, coffee, cacao, rubber, cattle grazing, and ecotourism, each with industry profiles, relevant policies, value chains, and production and trade data.

Strategic Components

Stable enabling policy; forestry investment support mechanisms; identification and mapping of potential investment areas; secure tenure and partnership agreements; development of investment areas; strengthened partnerships with existing tenure holders; and marketing. Implementation is phased: short term (2018-2020), medium term (2021-2025), and long term (2026-2028), with a communication plan and monitoring indicators.

Relevance: the policy anchor for later issuances such as Potential Investment Areas in forest land (DAO 2026-34) and the Forestry Investment Portal (DAO 2026-32). Signed by Secretary Roy A. Cimatu. Summary prepared by EnviSynergy from the official DENR issuance; refer to the full text for binding provisions.