Four old trees along the national highway in the City of Naga, southern Cebu were chopped down in 2014.
Eighty-four were spared, but for how long?
In the name of public safety, four century-old Acacia trees in barangay Tina-an, City of Naga, were cut down last August after they were identified, along with three more, as “diseased” and “hazardous” by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7.
Two aged trees had fallen earlier, paralyzing traffic on the south highway that summer. Residents feared another collapse.
Three other Acacia trees were spared from chainsaws of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7 after two local mountain climbers, reinforced by the Movement for a Livable Cebu, climbed up in protest.
They took the cue from running priest Fr. Robert Reyes, who earlier flew to Cebu and mounted an Acacia, to call for a stop to cutting in behalf of the National Coalition to Save Trees.
Foresters tagged a total of 88 trees — 77 in San Fernando, seven in Naga and four in Carcar — as “diseased and rotting.” The 88 trees were among 154 affected by a 15-km national road widening project that covers Naga, San Fernando and Carcar in south Cebu, pet project of former congressman Eduardo Gullas.
The diagnosis, however, was challenged by MLC, which insisted on a second opinion.
The trees gained a reprieve after DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson himself ordered engineers to use another road design and spare the Naga trees, which form a unique canopy or “green tunnel” that is a south Cebu landmark. He announced a new policy suspending tree cutting on national roads pending review.
Environment Secretary Ramon Paje recalled the special cutting permit issued to the DPWH. Paje also ordered staff in Central Visayas to deny the application for a special tree cutting permit for San Fernando town.
The MLC sought out two “tree doctors” – Dr. Roger de Guzman and Dr. Ernesto Militante. who were called in to give an expert opinion on the trees’ health.
Both of them recommended pruning, saying the trees could still be saved with proper care and “low” risk of falling down.
The seesaw battle continues.
Thirty Cebu mayors asked Secretary Paje to reissue the cutting permits.
Tuburan Mayor Democrito “Aljun”Diamante, LMP-Cebu chapter president, said trees should not be an obstacle to development. Gov. Hilario Davide III agrees, and has asked the DENR Secretary to reconsider.
The face-off showed the extent to which private citizens who value trees as heritage and nature’s blessing will go to protect the environment, and how the government does a balancing act in the name of public safety and development.
According to the MLC, both interests –- trees and development –- can and should coexist.
It was former Cebu City councilor Sylvan “Jack” Jakosalem, who first sounded the call to save south Cebu’s canopy in 2012. His grandfather, former Cebu governor Dionesio Jakosalem, had ordered them planted in the 1900s.
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