Forestry

Timber and manufactured wood products account for about 8 percent of the total value of Philippine exports. The annual timber cut amounts to more than 14 billion board feet. The yearly rate of deforestation during the first half of the 1980s was nearly one percent about 222,400 acres (90,000 hectares). Logging, sawmilling, and wood processing employ about 160,000 workers. Much of the timber is shipped to Japan on the form of logs. Most of the sawed lumber is used domestically. In recent years several large veneer and plywood mills have been built to supply overseas markets.

Most Philippine woods are classified as hardwoods. Although not true mahoganies, they are usually marketed as "Philippine mahogany." These woods and several other forest species, including rattan, are widely used in furniture, paneling, interior finishing, and cabinetwork. Most of the timber comes from the forest of Mindanao.

 

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