‘Cebuano awareness of eco issues high’

Environmental Lawyer Antonio Oposa talking about environment issues during the 8th anniversary celebration of the 888 news forum at Marco Polo Plaza. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

ONGOING news coverage and public debate on the fate of century-old trees along the highway in Naga and Carcar cities and San Fernando town indicate that more Cebuanos are aware of environment issues.

In yesterday’s 888 News Forum, environment lawyer Antonio Oposa Jr., called on the public to change their limited mindset about the environment.

“The environment is not about the birds and the bees, the flowers or the trees in Naga City. It’s about life and the sources of life – land, air and water. If we think of it that way, then we would really want to protect it,” he said.

Oposa said he was glad to see the Cebu community discussing the pros and cons of cutting down roadside trees, including Acacias planted by the government in the early 1900s, and engage in public debate over whether this was “genuine development.”

An online poll by Cebu Daily News on its website, www.cebudailynews.ph, Facebook and Twitter accounts last Sunday evening showed that 90 percent of respondents favored preserving heritage trees rather than cutting them down.

About 13 percent favored cutting the trees “in order to bring development to southern Cebu and to replant more trees.”

Another 11 percent said the trees must be cut because they are already “decaying and endangering the lives of motorists.”

Decomposition

Most of the respondents who answered the poll have an IP address in Cebu while others came from the US, Singapore, Norway, Japan, Qatar, Switzerland, United Arab of Emirates, Australia, Bahrain, Denmark and United Kingdom.

The mayors of San Fernando, Naga and Carcar cities agreed to cut some of the trees identified by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as in an advanced state of decomposition and a threat to the safety of nearby communities and the riding public.

Environment groups called for a third-party assessment of the conditions of the trees.

In his speech, Oposa said trees and forests are the lungs and heart of the earth: “If we destroy that, we destroy life itself.”

Instead of wider roads, Oposa said the government should build narrower roads and wider sidewalks for people to walk or bike.

He said only two percent or half a million Filipinos own vehicles. He asked asked why they should be prioritized when there are more people need to walk.

In Amsterdam and Copenhagen, Oposa said roads are narrower while sidewalks are much wider.
He said the Philippines has been following the Los Angeles transportation model of more vehicles and more roads, which he said is the “worst” transportation model.

Read all about the Naga Trees issues here!

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