Quirino Avenue mass tree-cutting slammed as 'ecological violence'
MANILA, Philippines — The social development arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has condemned the cutting of decades-old trees along Quirino Avenue, calling it an act of "ecological violence" that harms the city’s most vulnerable residents.
In a statement on Monday, May 25, Caritas Philippines president and San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza slammed the removal of the trees, urging authorities and contractors to stop the “destructive” cutting.
“We call on our public authorities and contractors to halt this destructive tree-cutting immediately, to review these infrastructure projects through the lens of ecological justice, and to listen consistently to the communities who rely on these trees for survival,” Alminaza said.
Alminaza said the project hides behind the language of progress while flattening the urban environment and forcing the poor to pay the highest price.
“Why must ‘development’ always demand the sacrifice of the vulnerable? Why are our cities designed for vehicles and concrete instead of for children, workers, pedestrians, and the elderly?” Alminaza said.
“We refuse to hide this injustice behind bureaucratic language. What is legal on paper is not automatically moral in the eyes of God,” he added.
Citing Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si,” Alminaza warned against what he described as a cruel throwaway culture that treats nature and vulnerable people as expendable collateral for corporate expansion.
“The climate crisis is a present, urgent and unquestionable reality. In Manila, every mature tree destroyed is a moral failure. It is a wound inflicted on our common home,” Alminaza said.
“As Church, we stand firmly against every form of development that destroys creation and deepens the suffering of the people,” he added.
DENR defends permit, safeguards
The tree cutting on Quirino Avenue in Manila is part of the Southern Access Link Expressway, or SALEX, an elevated expressway project that will connect Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 to Roxas Boulevard.
SALEX is being developed by San Miguel Corp. as a 40.62-kilometer elevated expressway in Metro Manila.
In a statement on Monday, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said it “understands the public’s concern” over tree-cutting activities, including the Quirino Avenue situation, but stressed that no tree is authorized for removal without a legal basis, environmental safeguards and long-term rehabilitation requirements.
The DENR-National Capital Region earlier said the work is covered by a permit and that operations began in May 2026.
The agency also said the government is requiring San Miguel Corp. to plant 50,700 seedlings in the city to offset the loss of the trees.
Tree-cutting permits come with safeguards such as replacement planting, buffer zones along rivers and waterways, monitoring by DENR foresters and oversight from government, local authorities, communities and civil society, the agency argued.
“We assure the public that the DENR is closely supervising every phase of the activity and enforcing all safeguards,” the agency said.
“Our priority is to protect communities, uphold the law, and ensure that the environment gains more than it loses,” it added.
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