Trees are more than just a lovely poem

Whenever and wherever we hear them, environmentalists say that trees help fight global warming. They do not tire telling us that trees also prevent soil erosion and contain waters from getting to be rampaging floods. In many fora, they, too, claimed that while the typhoon was the proximate cause of the flooding of Infanta, Quezon, few years ago, deforestation was, without doubt, the proximate cause of the terrible devastation of the town and neighboring localities. Their proof was the cascading of hundreds of cut timbers down the mountain slopes, destroying lives and properties along the way.

All told, in these crucial times when an hour long rain inundates many parts of Cebu City, we also need trees. While we are thankful that there are still some of them that provide fresh, green ambiance around the city's changing skylines, there are just too few of them to be of any climactic significance. So, despite my positive orientation, I accept that it may really be difficult to plant new trees and care for them within the bustling business district of the city. In this scenario, I,(meaning, we), can only lean on the imagination of our government leaders to ensure that we shall have forest cover, of some kind, in the near future within the immediate surroundings where flora may still be grown.

Shorn of the profound definition lawyers usually give to "police power", as the authority to enact laws for the common good, it is within our Sanggunian Panlungsod to exercise. Our honorable city councilors have to forsake political colors in urgently crafting an ordinance that mandates landowners to plant trees.

Here is a repetition of an unsolicited suggestion. For the reason that my previous article on this issue did not gain any attention from our sanggunian, I am taking it up again here. I am sure that our city councilors have better ideas on this subject and that should explain the absence of their reaction. But, just to ignite a serious discussion, let me suggest that they should write a measure that applies to the rural barangays because it is, as pointed above, difficult to implement it in such urban areas as Barangay Sto. Niño, where almost every square meter is concrete.

The scope of the ordinance should include parcels of land with an area of at least one thousand square meters, the rationale being that owners of smaller lots will be unduly burdened if imposed with the obligation of cultivating trees with the remaining space too miniscule for any meaningful economic undertaking. To maximize utility, the planting may be mandated only along property lines. In that manner, the plants can serve the dual function of preventing future boundary disputes.

Why, what happened to the trees of long ago? The stories that came down from our forebears told us that large and tall ones were cut to make lumber, out of which majestic homes and exquisite furniture were produced, while the rest were gathered and made into firewood. Selling firewood was a quick source of immediate cash for the less privileged.

That being the case, fruit trees, except a few species like Chico, Mabolo and Santol, will not be appropriate targets for lumber and furniture use. And because fruits are easily marketable, farmer would prefer to let them grow than convert them to firewood. On this basis, an ordinance directing the planting of fruit trees can be both functional and reasonably implementable.

Barangay governments need to be tapped for this task of growing trees. In their jurisdictions, barangays should monitor the plants till they have passed the generally accepted critical stage of three to four years. There have been many efforts to plant trees but sad to say, there were not efforts to ascertain that the plants survive. That is why the barangays should check on the growth and survival of the plants.

Perhaps, to make the undertaking attractive to land owners, we should grant them tax rebates for maturing trees. How much will it be and for how long, we will leave these to the imagination of SP members to do. Your move, honorable councilors!

***

Email: [email protected]