Cutting down the ailing Acacia trees in the City of Naga seems to be the most practical thing to do. But the act may not be as innocent as it seems.
An Acacia tree snapping on July 26 in Perrelos, Carcar City and in barangay Balud, San Fernando town on July 9 would seem to justify the urgency of ridding the southern stretch of these beautiful trees which were praised for their heritage and tourism value.
Talks of cutting these trees started in 2012 when the supposed widening of the highway started but environmentalists were able to save the trees.
Now, those saved in 2012 are at the mercy of chainsaws happily brought in by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
We raise issues in the cutting of trees not for romantic reasons. We credit running priest Fr. Robert Reyes who represents the National Coalition to Save Trees for his dogged determination to stop the cutting.
Yes, there are ailing trees – those that are rotten to the core, eaten by termites and other pests. Aggravating the health issues of trees are the senseless nailing of posters mostly during elections.
Like any living things, trees do get injured.
Foresters from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) knows this too well.
Yet, we come to ask, what have they done to treat these ailing trees when these were first made public in 2012?
None.
The DENR had seemed resigned to the fate of these trees. Sad.
It took a Fr. Reyes who climbed a doomed Acacia tree last Tuesday for DPWH officials to come to realize that proceeding with their swashbuckling ways would mean no good.
Good for the Carcar trees, but the Naga trees have to go.
The DPWH and even the DENR cannot wash their hands clean of this crime against the environment.
The DPWH has to account for the multi-billion pesos in Road User’s Tax which must be spent on road maintenance.
Maintaining road easements is essential in road maintenance. Trees in the Naga – Carcar highway are in the road easement.
Meaning, the DPWH could have spent the Road User’s Tax to treat ailing trees. They could have enlisted tree surgeons for the task.
A few years back when some quarters wondered where these multi-billion taxes went, DPWH and DENR officials talked of greening highways and allocated funds to plant trees along the highways.
Ironically, the full-grown trees in the Naga- Carcar highway seem exempted from this highway greening program.
An Acacia branch snapping or a tree falling in this stretch of the highway is not new. The two incidents in July were not the only incidents of trees falling there. That is nature.
That is why part of maintaining the health of trees is pruning. The DPWH and the DENR know this all too well.
It is hoped that with the order of Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson to save the Carcar trees, they will integrate in the program of work for road maintenance the taking care of these heritage trees.