Stringent tree cutting guidelines to delay road projects – DPWH 7
This centennial Narra tree on N. Velez street will be not longer be cut down. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Central Visayas said it is worried that stringent guidelines on tree-cutting may result in a backlog of road-widening projects in the region.
“That’s tedious. We have 16 regional offices and I think 190 district offices. All projects will have to be vetted by the DPWH central office,” Regional DPWH Director Ador Canlas said in a press conference yesterday.
Last August, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje recalled all tree-cutting permits issued to the DPWH for road widening projects.
The suspension came following the clamor by environmental groups in Cebu and Manila to save century-old Acacia trees in Naga City, San Fernando, and Carcar City.
Paje said all applications have to be vetted by the DPWH to which has to check infrastructure projects and exhaust all means to avoid cutting trees located in these project sites.
Paje’s order states that only tree cutting applications endorsed by Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson will be accepted and acted upon by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Canlas yesterday said several ongoing projects will be affected by the policy.
“For example our ongoing project in Gov. Cuenco Ave. along the Banilad-Talamban Road. There are trees there. Also our project in N. Bacalso for this year, there are also trees. We also have a lot of widening project proposed for the 2015 budget,” Canlas said.
For the Cebu City District Engineering Office alone, about P308 million worth of widening projects were proposed by the office for next year’s budget.
For the Cebu City District Engineering Office, a total of P308 million worth of road wideing projects are proposed for the 2015 budget.
These projects include: widening of N. Bacalso Ave (P176 million); widening of Gov. Cuenco Ave. (P50 million); widening of M. Velez St. (P5 million); widening of C. Padilla St. (P50 million); widening of Carlock St. (P11.7 million); widening of R. Palma St. (P12.7 million); and widening of Arellano Blvd. (P3.1 million).
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