Group still fighting for trees along Naga-Carcar stretch

CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine Earth Justice Center is reaching out to stakeholders including the government to stop the cutting of heritage trees following the approval of three barangays in Naga City to the cutting and earthballing of trees that may be affected by a road widening project from Naga City to Carcar City.

“They can be sure that a legal action will be initiated if our move fails to move the government. We are reaching out to stakeholders including the government to stop this senseless and highly destructive act, said PEJC co-founder Gloria Ramos.

As one of its activity in increasing awareness, Ramos’ Law students from the University of  Cebu will be having a “Save Cebu Trees Heritage” caravan today.

The Department of  Environment and Natural Resources-7 said that Naga City barangays Tinaan, Inoburan and Langtad have issued a barangay council resolution and a certification interposing no objection on the tree cutting and earthballing of these trees.

Isabelo Montejo, DENR-7 regional executive director said in a statement that the approval is one of the conditions of the clearance granted by the DENR-Central Office and the special tree cutting permit issued to the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Montejo explained that this does not already mean that DPWH-7 can now proceed with the cutting and earth-balling, they should comply with the other mandatory requirements.

He indicated that replacement of at least 13,800 native and indigenous seedlings should be undertaken first before the actual cutting.

With this, a meeting was called for by DENR-7 to be attended by DPWH-7, the project manager or contractor, the Naga City government and other stakeholders on Oct. 14 at 9 a.m. at the Community Environment and Natural Resources office in Cebu City.

Montejo emphasized that the acacia trees to be cut down are in an advanced stage of decay and can no longer be rehabilitated with tree surgery. He added they pose a danger to life and property the longer they stay there and that older the trees have lower capacity to absorb carbon.

There are 12 conditions to be complied with on the permit to cut, one of these is to leave alone an acacia tree that has reportedly been there since the 1600s.

DENR-7 information officer Eddie Llamedo said that based on the permit signed by Montejo as cleared by DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations Demetrio Ignacio Jr., some 42 trees including the eight century-old acacia trees which are in an advanced stage of decay and clearly posing danger to life and property will be cut down.

Llamedo said that at least 96 trees with a diameter of  25 centimeters and below will be earthballed while 16 acacia trees should not be cut down as they will be subjected to further tree surgery, correct pruning and rehabilitation of decayed branches and stubs.

At least 155 trees with an aggregate volume of 192.77 cubic meters of different species will be affected.

Llamedo added that it was found out that of the 155 trees, 25 are century-old acacia trees with diameters ranging from 92 centimeters to 226 centimeters. Of the 25, nine were considered to be defective and hazardous.

Earlier, the project proponent, former First District congressman Eduardo Gullas said that the P1.25-billion Naga-Carcar road project is beneficial not just for Cebuanos but also for Boholanos and Negrenses who pass this road on the way to Cebu City.

“The benefits are not only for Cebu province but inter-regional and intra-regional influence,” Gullas had said.

PEJC said that trees render valuable ecosystem services, which humans take for granted and we forget that without the trees, our quality of life will be affected.

PEJC added that trees are important because it produce oxygen, clean the soil, control noise pollution, slow storm water runoff, clean the air, act as windbreaks, fight soil erosion, increase property values, among others.  —/BRP (FREEMAN)