DENR-7: Cutting of trees in Barangay Capitol Site follows forestry rules

The Department of Public Works and Highways in Central Visayas (DPWH-7) has put up a sign at the Don Gil Garcia Street warning motorists of the cutting of trees. | Delta Letigio

CEBU CITY, Philippines–The Department of Natural Resources in Central Visayas (DENR-7) said that the  cutting of five trees along M. Velez  Street and Don Gil Garcia Street in Barangay Capitol Site in Cebu City was done in line with the forestry laws, rules, and regulations in the country.

In a statement released to the media, DENR-7 said that the cutting of the half-century-old trees passed through the process as required for the Department of Public Works and Highways in Central Visayas (DPWH-7) every time they need to cut trees for a project, including to seek the permission of the locals.

DENR-7 said that contrary to reports that the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) was not informed of the tree cutting activity, the DENR and DPWH were actually given a “no objection” letter from the city agency for the cutting of the trees in the area, which did not sit well with residents in the area and other environmentalists.

Read more: Capitol Site resident, netizens mourn loss of half-century old trees; chopped down for a road widening project

Furthermore, Barangay Capitol Site also posed no objection to cutting the trees for the road widening project affecting four narra trees and one mahogany tree with a total gross volume of 9.46 cubic meters.

DENR-7 released the permit to DPWH-7 because the latter was able to comply with the necessary requirements including infrastructure plans and endorsements from the local government unit (LGU).

The fastrack of the permit releasing was attributed to the easing of tree cutting regulations of DENR to support the “Build. Build. Build” program of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

“The DENR came up with the revisions after delays in the processing of tree-cutting permits were identified as one of the causes of the slow implementation of the government’s ‘Build. Build. Build’ program,” said Paquito Melicor, the director of DENR-7.

Melicor assured that all the logs from the cut trees were brought to the Cenro nursery at Camp Marina, Barangay Opra, in Cebu City for proper disposal, and to allow the city to use the logs for whatever purpose.

He also assured the public that in exchange for the five trees cut in Barangay Capitol Site, 500 tree seedlings were planted in Barangay Tabunan, a mountain barangay of Cebu City.

In previous statements, DPWH-7 Director Edgar Tabacon, already said that the DPWH-7 coordinated with the city government in the tree-cutting activity.

He also said the trees were becoming a danger to motorists and pedestrians in the area, and it was high time to cut them. /bmjo