DPWH-7 makes room for trees in design of highway

DPWH Regional Director Ador Canlas says they would minimize cutting of trees in their projects. (CDN PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Trees will not be cut down but incorporated in the design of the next phase of widening  the  Naga-Carcar  highway in south Cebu, said Ador Canlas, regional director of the Dept. of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7 yesterday.

He gave this assurance in a press conference marking the 116th  anniversary of the agency.

“We are taking all of this in stride. We’re doing our best to really maintain and not cut the trees, but sometimes there is really a need for it. We are trying to strike a balance between this and that,” he said.

A bidding was conducted yesterday for the continuation of the Naga-Carcar road-widening project which was championed by former Rep. Eduardo Gullas  of the 1st district.

Canlas said  the DPWH would “minimize” the cutting of trees. In the ongoing work, he said trees were no longer cut in some portions of the  road.

He said they provided a lane outside the line of trees.

“They can either be used as a bike lane or a jogging lane,” he said.

Balance
But Canlas said this plan can’t be applied for the entire road stretch due to  trees  in different alignments.

Only a  few trees will be sacrificed, he said.

“In Naga-Carcar, there are sections where the trees are not of one alignment. That is where the problem occurs. If the trees are aligned differently, the road will be crooked, which will be more dangerous to motorists. That  is where we really have to strike a balance between removing or not, whether widening or not, so it’s decided on a case to  case basis,” he said.

Canlas said  the same concept was applied in the ongoing Mactan-Circumferential Road Project where trees were incorporated as a center line for the road. Otherwise many  trees would  have to be cut.

“You can see  in the Mactan Circumferential Road that we provided a jogging lane and a bike lane there. The trees were made as the center line. So that would save those trees,” he said.

The lanes built outside the centuries-old trees, that is momentarily spared by the road widening project along the Naga City highway. (CDN PHOTO/ LITO TECSON)

Permit
Canlas’ pronouncement was welcomed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“It is the DENR’s goal to incorporate, integrate existing trees along the highway. If the DPWH incorporates it in the architecture of the road, that would be a welcome move,” DENR 7 spokesman Eddie Llamedo said.

Llamedo, who attended the press conference, said a special tree cutting permit for the Naga-Carcar project that was approved late last year, expired since the DPWH failed to submit requirements asked by the DENR such as proof of genuine public consultation, an implementation plan and the location of where trees will be earth-balled, among others. Llamedo said the DPWH 7 would have to apply again for another permit.

The DPWH came under fire for the removal of 79 trees that lined S. Osmeña Road. A criminal case was filed by DENR against the contractor WT Construction.

Canalas said DPWH didn’t order any party to cut the trees. He said the removal took place “without our knowledge.”

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