Reforestation is not only planting trees to replace the destroyed or harvested ones but also stopping their illegal cutting. Both are performed by Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) forest rangers, whose role also includes giving environmental education, preventing and suppressing fire, managing wildlife and habitat, and engaging with community.

The limited number of these civilian enforcers, however, can only guard so much forests so support is needed from the police force.

Prior to 2019, police in Bulacan province conducted anti-illegal logging operations in mountain sitios dubbed Oplan Berde. The unit called 1st Laguna Provincial Mobile Force Company then enhanced Oplan Berde by adding tree-planting activities to patrol operations meant to deter illegal tree cutting, Police Master Sergeant Ivan A. Velasco recalls when he was part of the 1LPMFC.

“It was designed not only to decisively curb illegal logging operations but also to promote a healthier, cleaner and more resilient environment for the community,” the now non-commissioned officer based at the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Presidential Protection Division in Manila says of the Oplan Green Planet (OGP).

The 1LPMFC has various responsibilities, from civil disturbance control to anti-terrorism operations, from hostage rescues to responding to natural disasters, and implementing the OGP.

Under OGP, Velasco and his team perform proactive patrols, surveillance and inter-agency collaboration to reduce and prevent illegal tree-cutting activities, plus conduct tree planting, clean-ups, participation in community restoration of degraded areas and promotion of environmental awareness.

“At its core, Oplan Green Planet is not just about enforcement, but about safeguarding our natural resources while building partnerships with communities, ensuring that environmental protection becomes a shared responsibility for present and future generations,” Velasco adds.

Hotspot patrol

OGP patrols are done on identified hotspot areas in Laguna or places that are historically vulnerable to illegal logging and forest degradation. These areas, according to Velasco, are designated in coordination with the DENR, the Makiling-Banahaw Watershed Area Team and local communities. Representatives from the DENR and barangay communities join 1PMFC in the patrol.

“Monitoring is both intelligence-driven and scheduled, which means we patrol designated areas but also respond to new reports of possible tree cutting,” he says.

During encounters with suspected illegal loggers, police rules of engagement apply. The police approach with maximum restraint, prioritize arrest of suspects caught in the act of cutting trees, and use force only as a last resort and always proportional to the threat, Velasco explains.

There were instances when the 1PMFC was able to successfully arrest illegal loggers and seize lumber and equipment for turnover to local police stations and the DENR, respectively.

Velasco and his team were not always patrolling the vast forests of Laguna. To sustain monitoring, residents and barangay officials were empowered to do it through information drives and workshops.

“We instruct them to immediately report suspicious activity through our hotline numbers and barangay tanods; avoid confronting illegal loggers directly to ensure their safety; and secure key details such as location, time and possible identities, which our patrol units then verify,” says Velasco.

He recalled one instance when a resident reported unusual chainsaw activity near his community and his team immediately responded the same day, conducted surveillance, and successfully confiscated illegally cut lumber while pursuing the suspects who fled the scene. “This incident underscored the vital role of community partnership in monitoring and protecting our forested areas,” he says.

OGP is not without its challenges. According to Velasco, they have to contend with the difficult terrain that requires extensive manpower and time.

They also have to make do with their limited resources, such as vehicles and equipment.

Another challenge is fear among locals of reprisals from illegal loggers.

Despite these obstacles, Velasco said sustained collaboration with stakeholders has allowed OGP to remain effective.

Outstanding Filipino

Meanwhile, tree planting activities were often conducted alongside patrols to ensure that vulnerable areas were also rehabilitated with new seedlings.

“There has been visible recovery in several reforested areas,” Velaso reports. “While full restoration takes time, the combination of consistent monitoring, reduced incidents of illegal logging, and tree planting has significantly improved forest cover and environmental resilience in hotspot areas.”

“Since 2019, we have already planted around 5,000 trees through 324 tree-planting activities across the province of Laguna,” he adds.

While OGP is being implemented only within Laguna Province, Velasco said fighting illegal tree cutting can be done in other areas by reporting it through the 911 emergency hotline.

The effort of Velasco in the 1LPMFC and OGP has been recognized by the Metrobank Foundation Inc. During the 40th edition of the Outstanding Filipinos (OF), the most prestigious career service honor in the country and flagship program of MFI, the corporate social responsibility arm of the Metrobank Group, Velasco was among the 10 awardees.

In the conferment ceremony for the 2025 OF on 5 September, he received a trophy, medal and P1 million cash.

Like two other police officers, three soldiers and three teachers, MFI recognized Velasco for his other achievements, such as crafting the 1LPMFC training plan, which gave rise to Oplan TLS (Train, Learn and Share), a best-practice program that has sent hundreds of personnel to specialized training — from high-threat emergency care to advanced drone piloting — and embedded a culture of skill-sharing in the unit.

He was honored for launching sports-based activities that not only improved physical fitness but also built infrastructure, like the unit’s tactical conference room funded by proceeds from the Mount Bulalo Uphill Challenge.

Velasco redirected funds that were previously consumed by redundant operations into medical missions, feeding programs, and other community initiatives like “Bola Hindi Droga,” a basketball clinic for youth development that trained dozens of children in Bay, Laguna, steering them away from drugs through sports.

Another was Oplan Fusion Hornet, an intelligence-sharing mechanism that closed the gaps between the PNP, Armed Forces of the Philippines, local governments, and other law enforcement agencies, and Oplan Handog Gamit Para sa Pagbabalik Eskwela community outreach.

In police work, the measure of success is the absence of crime and prevention of harm. For Velasco, it is the sustained effort to build trust one conversation, one gesture and one green shoot at a time.