THE regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) may hold a dialogue with the Cebu provincial government to resolve their conflict with the Argao municipal government over the cutting of some 400 trees for a road project.
In a related development, the DENR-7 also asked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) about the whereabouts of almost 40 trees which were uprooted during the Mambaling flyover road widening. The trees were supposed to be earthballed.
“We are willing to sit down with Gov. Hilario Davide to brief on the real and true accounts of the issue and why we have gone this far,” DENR-7 spokesperson Eddie Llamedo said on the Argao issue.
Gov. Hilario Davide III earlier said he wants to meet with DENR-7 representatives to resolve the conflict between the agency and Argao Mayor Edsel Galeos.
The governor said there is a need to “strike a balance” between development and environmental protection, a suggestion which was welcomed by DENR.
“Actually, economic development could co-exist with environmental protection, it could be done by following rules and instituting mitigation measures,” Llamedo said.
The DENR-7 earlier filed a complaint for abuse of authority against Galeos with the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas for the cutting of 374 trees in a timberland area in barangay Jampang, Argao.
The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Argao also issued a cease and desist order against the work on the mountain access road.
Last week, Galeos went to court and applied for an injunction against the DENR’s stoppage order.
Llamedo said there were no discussions for the development of a road in the area.
“There was never an intention to develop a road, it was an ecotourism within a timberland area.
There are requirements but they did not comply,” he said.
Balance could have been achieved if the town officials tried to mitigate the development’s impact on the environment, said Llamedo.
“When we say mitigation, if there are trees to be affected by a road widening or rehabilitation, one mitigation is to earthball or to replace the lost or cut trees,” Llamedo said.
‘SHOW TREES’
In another issue, the DENR 7 asked DPWH on the whereabouts of almost 40 trees affected by the Mambaling flyover road widening project which were supposed to be earthballed.
In a letter to DPWH 7 Director Ador Canlas, DENR 7 Director Isabelo Montejo asked for a compliance report on where the trees are now, plus photos of the transferred trees and their exact locations.
“We’re trying to seek accountability from the DPWH on their road projects with trees being affected,” Llamedo said.
This is part of their effort to strengthen the DENR’s mandate of monitoring public works that affect trees, he added.
A cutting permit was issued for one mango tree on the condition that 100 indigenous trees be planted as replacement. The rest of trees – eight mahogany and 30 narras – will have to be located and reported.
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