Only 3 trees can survive transfer

MARKED. Trees in the center island on Pope John Paul II Avenue in barangay Mabolo, Cebu City are marked with a yellow X to indicate that they will be eventually removed this year. (CDN PHOTO/ LITO TECSON)

Cebu City Hall’s Parks and Playgrounds Commission (PPC) still wants to earthball, not cut, the 15 trees along Pope John Paul II Avenue despite an assessment by environment officials that only three trees can survive the transfer.

The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) said  the remaining 11 of these 12 trees are  fire trees in the center island in front of Mabolo seminaries. The road section lies between  the TESDA flyover and the traffic light on  Cardinal Rosales Ave. leading to Ayala Center.

“Twelve of those trees are above 15 cm. in diameter, while only three are qualified for earthballing based on the guidelines and procedures under item 2.B of Memorandum from then Secretary Jose L. Atienza Jr. dated November 27, 2009,” said CENRO head Raul Pasoc.

CENRO, city officials and other stakeholders met at the office of Councilor Nida Cabrera yesterday for a public hearing on the planned removal of trees.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said he wanted all the trees removed and to reduce the center island  for faster traffic flow in preparation for the International Eucharistic Congress in January next year, where 15,000 delegates are expected to cause traffic snarls. Concerned citizens in the Movement for a Livable Cebu have been trying to persuade Rama that other options like traffic management can solve the problem instead of permanently removing the trees.

The consultation is part of legal requirements for an application for tree cutting or earthballing permits from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).  A barangay certification from both Kasambagan and Luz interposing no objection to the plan is also needed.

Pope John Paul II Ave. (formerly Juan Luna Avenue) lies in the boundary of the two barangays.

The city also needs a certification or endorsement from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

During yesterday’s consultation, it was  agreed that two fire trees in the center island near the TESDA flyover can still be spared. This reduces the number of fire trees due for removal to  nine.

Survival

Four Mahogany trees along the sidewalk on the side of the San Carlos Seminary are also due for removal.

Pasoc said trees with bigger trunks, indicating their maturity,  have a low chance of survival if they are  earthballed and replanted elsewhere.

But PPC Executive Director Dr. Librado Macaraya, and Councilor Cabrera, insisted on earth-balling all the affected trees in order to save them.

“Anyway, the nine affected fire trees will just be transferred nearby in other  vacant center islands within Pope John Paul II Avenue.,” Macaraya said.

The Mahogany trees may be transferred to the Warwick Barracks area in Carbon market.

Transfer

Pasoc said they can still change their recommendation if the city will write an appeal  to the DENR 7 office stating their justifications to ensure the survival of the trees even if they are earthballed.

Macaraya said they will  attach as proof photos of  bigger trees that were earth-balled by the city  and still  survived.

City Agriculture Department head Joelito Baclayon said the city is capable of transferring bigger trees. A crane and an excavator can be used for for the transfer, he said.

Pasoc said there’s no penalty if the earthballed trees don’t survive the transfer.

He said  his offie has   already required a supply of replacement seedlings from City Hall.

For every tree removed, they city should replace it with 50 seedlings of indigenous, fruit-bearing or forest trees.