The 79 trees missing from the center island of S. Osmeña Road in Cebu City will be replaced with mangrove seedlings planted in the controversial Balili estate in Naga City.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7 agreed to plant them in a foreshore area.
“But these must be planted within Cebu,” said Chad Estella of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro), which pledged to provide 7,900 propagules or seedlings for coastal mangroves.
“Considering the coming El Nino phenomenon, it will be difficult to ensure the survival of fruit-bearing tree seedlings. Mangroves will be better,” he said.
The DPWH-7, Penro and Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas (DENR-7) reached this agreement last Wednesday when they tackled the S. Osmeña road project case and tree-cutting needed in the South Cebu highway.
Estella said he committed to supply the seedlings to settle the question on who will provide them.
The DENR which is supposed to choose the site identified it as the province-owned Balili property, which is mostly underwater.
DENR-7 spokesman Eddie Llamedo, said the mangrove seedlings will be planted there by the DPWH which is in charge of the road widening of S. Osmeña Road, where the disappearance of 79 trees from the center island last April resulted in the filing of criminal charges of illegal destruction of trees against the road contractor WT Construction.
“Hopefully we can do the planting next week. We will involve people’s organizations,” DPWH 7 Regional Director Ador Canlas said.
Budget
DENR-7 promised to lift its cease and desist order on the permit for earthballing of the remaining trees in the center island in S. Osmeña road after the DPWH plants the replacement seedlings.
Each missing tree is supposed to be replaced with 100 seedlings.
Canlas earlier said DPWH has no budget for this but the impasse was solved in Wednesday’s interagency dialog.
DPWH chief legal officer Brando Ray Raya said this doesn’t mean the DPWH admits fault in removing the trees.
“We just want the cease and desist order to be lifted. that’s why we complied,” Raya said.