Dir. Ador Canlas (left) of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-7) and Mr. Eduardo Inting (right) Chief of the Forest Management Service of the DENR lead the close door meeting with other government agencies regarding the cutting of trees in Naga City at the DPWH regional office. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
WHAT ailing trees in Naga City need are tree doctors, not the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), whose priority is to cut them down as road obstructions.
This was the message of activist-priest, Fr. Robert Reyes, who visited Naga the other day and tied white ribbons around seven “sick” century-old trees along the national highway in barangay Tinaan.
The seven trees along with 77 more in San Fernando town are scheduled to be cut down next week as “diseased and decaying”trees that may fall down anytime, according to the environment department.
“Kailangan nito ay tinatawag na tree doctor, hindi DPWH,” said the Franciscan priest. (What they need is a tree doctor, not the DPWH).
With proper care and intervention, he said, “maybe we can save other trees and let them live for another 50 or more years.”
He said destroying century-old trees would have consequences and that people in ancient times have long believed that trees have spirits .
“Kaya pag pinuputol ng DPWH ay may gaba. Pagpatuloy niyo po yan, gaba yan,” said the priest, invoking the Bisaya concept of negative karma or “gaba”. (If DPWH goes ahead and cuts the trees down, they court bad karma.) Reyes is convenor of a new Coalition to Save the Trees.
Reyes’s white ribbon campaign started in Pangasinan where the DPWH began cutting 1,829 trees to give way to a road project in national roads linking Urdaneta City to towns of Sison, Pozorrubio, Binalonan, Villasis and Rosales.
Reyes said they were able to save 700 trees after rallying communities to make a stand.
“We educated the public to see that trees shouldn’t be cut down without public consultation,” he said.
Reyes said the white ribbons would call attention to the trees and raise public awareness of their value as heritage and a balanced ecology.
“When someone says the trees are sick, they need to exhaust all means to save them,” Reyes said referring to the situation in Cebu.
The DPWH 7 agreed with other government agencies to plant 100 saplings for each tree cut down. Reyes said the agency should first show proof of the seedlings and involve the community in planting them.
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