DPWH says ‘balete’ tree a traffic hazard

What was once a towering balete tree on M. Velez Street is replanted in a vacant lot in the South Road Properties. It was a dead stump when this photo was taken May 20. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

The Cebu City District Engineer admitted having the old balete tree near the bridge on M. Velez Street “earth-balled” without a permit.

He said the tree posed a traffic hazard to motorists and pedestrians passing by the area.

Fernando Cruz of the Dept. of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said they were doing their “best” to keep the tree alive “however, we cannot guarantee its survival since we do not possess the expertise on this matter.”

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 said a “clear violation” was made and that the agency didn’t follow protocol.

Eddie Llamedo, DENR-7 spokesman, said, “We are still pursuing a case to be filed against persons, both from DPWH and JJ and J Construction, who ordered the cutting. Our legal division is building a case to be filed next week.”

The balete tree, which was more than 60 years old, was a dried-out stump when Cebu Daily News located it in a vacant lot in the South Road Properties last May 20 following reports that it was cut down.

The tree was already “dead” from lack of water and care, according to foresters of the DENR-7.

Cruz gave his written explanation on the tree’s removal to DPWH Regional Director Ador Canlas on May 29. Canlas was issued a work stoppage order by the DENR-7 against cutting down the seven remaining trees on M. Velez Street and was asked to explain the balete tree’s sudden removal.

Cruz said his office applied much earlier in October 2011 for a tree-cutting permit without luck and has been struggling to find ways to deal with “perennial problems” of implementing projects especially when there are trees on national roads.

He said the balete was a traffic hazard and an obstruction to the sight of motorists so this “aggressively pushed” the project engineer to order the private contractor to immediately earth-ball the tree without waiting to finish requirements of the permit.

“In his desire to remove the tree immediately to avoid any untoward incident he inadvertently overlooked to relay and/or inform the DENR and instead informed the Office of the Parks and Playground Commission (PPC) verbally,” Cruz said.

JJ and J Construction which is widening M. Velez St. said they “earth-balled” the balete and placed it at the back of the San Pedro Calungsod templete at the SRP.

Apparently unaware that the balete tree was already dead, Cruz, in his May 29 letter, invited the PPC, and the DENR to “witness how we (DPWH) care for the said tree.”

PPC parks administrator Arlie Gesta inspected it last month and found the balete already a dead four-foot stump.

DENR-7 spokesman Llamedo said the DPWH should have asked or consulted the agency on how to properly earth-ball the tree.

“But they did not coordinate with us because they knew that they had no permit yet. They set aside a basic courtesy to inform DENR-7,” Llamedo said.

The certification of “no objection” of Capitol Site barangay captain Manuel Guanzon only allowed earth-balling and not cutting. He didn’t mention anything about the balete tree obstructing traffic.