Western Visayas Lawin teams lead forest protection push

ILOILO CITY — Deep within Western Visayas’ forest canopies, where fog hangs over damp soil and the sounds of wildlife echo, environmental front-liners patrol areas threatened by illegal logging, slash-and-burn farming, wildlife trafficking, and other destructive activities.

Forest rangers and patrollers from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources navigate the rugged terrain using the Lawin Forest and Biodiversity Protection System.

Equipped with field experience and digital monitoring tools, the patrollers trek deep into forests to detect threats and protect natural resources.

DENR Region 6 recognized the region’s best-performing Lawin patrol teams for serving as the eyes and ears of forest ecosystems.

The recognition was based on evaluation data from January to December 2025 covering total patrol distance and the teams’ response efficiency in addressing active environmental threats.

The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office in Guimbal, Iloilo, and the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office in Capiz tied for first place.

CENRO Sara in Iloilo placed second, while PENRO Aklan finished third.

Forest patrollers previously relied primarily on paper maps and field notebooks to monitor their assigned areas.

Patrollers now use smartphones with specialized applications that record their routes through the Global Positioning System and allow them to document threats in the field.

The Lawin system is a national forest protection strategy that uses technology to record field information and analyze patrol data. (⁠Forestry DENR)

The upgraded system uses the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool and its mobile application for real-time field data collection and reporting. (⁠Forestry DENR)

The technology allows rangers to report suspected illegal logging, locate and dismantle wildlife traps, and respond to forest encroachment and kaingin fires.

The work of a Lawin patroller is physically demanding.

Patrollers face unpredictable weather, treacherous ridges, thick mud, steep slopes, and long hours in remote areas.

Their work extends beyond protecting trees and wildlife.

When a Lawin team extinguishes an illegal fire or stops a poacher, it also helps protect watersheds that supply communities with fresh water.

Forest protection can also reduce risks to downstream communities from landslides, flooding, soil erosion, and the loss of natural water sources.

DENR field offices coordinate with local governments, community leaders, environmental stakeholders, and residents to help keep patrolled areas secure.

These partnerships create an additional line of defense by encouraging communities to report threats and support forest conservation initiatives.

The performance of the Guimbal, Capiz, Sara, and Aklan teams demonstrates what frontline patrollers can accomplish when they receive proper equipment, training, and institutional support.

Protecting the region’s remaining forests requires more than legislation on paper—it demands active, data-driven vigilance and sustained community support. (DENR-6)