Fact check: DENR is not selling 144,000 hectares of Davao Region forest land
Viral Facebook posts misrepresent a DENR plan that opens forest areas to private investors only through land-use agreements, with ownership staying with the State, according to VERA Files.
Facebook posts claiming that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will sell about 144,000 hectares of forest land in the Davao Region to private investors are misleading, according to a fact check by VERA Files.
The posts say the DENR has opened the land to private investors as part of roughly 500,000 hectares of forest land across Mindanao set aside for possible investment, including agroforestry, tree plantations and renewable energy projects. VERA Files said that while the DENR has indeed identified these areas for potential investors, the government is not selling them.
Under the Sustainable Forest Land Management Agreement, qualified investors may develop and manage designated forest areas for activities such as agroforestry, ecotourism, tree plantations and renewable energy. Ownership of the land remains with the government, and investors must follow government regulations and environmental safeguards, the fact check said.
VERA Files noted that Article XII of the 1987 Constitution bars the alienation of forest lands, which belong to the State. The Supreme Court has upheld this provision and said such lands must first be legally reclassified as agricultural before they can be sold or privatized.
According to VERA Files, the misleading posts appeared after DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations-Mindanao Joselin Marcus Fragada cited the figures at the Mindanao Development Forum on Oct. 28.
The claim was shared by Facebook pages DuterteSara Supporters, Onad POV and OLAER CHEF TV, as well as a personal blog and the group page The Best Ka Inday Sara. As of the fact check, the posts had drawn 8,325 reactions, 2,446 comments and 1,005 shares.
Why it matters for Davao
Forest land in the Davao Region remains public property; residents should know that any private projects in these areas would operate under government agreements and environmental rules, not private ownership.
This article was written by the DavaoNews desk with AI assistance, using reporting by VERA Files. Facts come from the original report, which we credit and link below. Our editorial policy
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