UP Cebu won’t cut down trees for additional buildings

Due to strong opposition from its students, the University of the Philippines-Cebu (UP Cebu) canceled earlier plans to cut down trees inside the school campus to make way for additional buildings.

UP-Cebu dean Liza Corro said construction of additional buildings within its 12.8-hectare property will proceed but with some modifications.

“We don’t need to cut down trees anymore although certain parts of the buildings to be constructed like the size of the corridors has to be reduced,” Corro said during a consultation with students at the university’s conference hall late afternoon today.

Three trees—nangka, coconut, and fabaceae—have to be “earth-balled” or relocated.

UP Cebu campus architect Dioscoro Alesna said they had to come up with schemes to satisfy the clamor of students not to cut any tree inside the school campus.

“Since we have to save the trees, we adjusted the plan. It’s actually a compromise. Since we do not need to cut down any tree, we also had to reduce certain areas without violating the standards in construction buildings,” he said.

At least nine trees were supposed to be removed to pave the way for the construction of the Arts and Sciences Expansion Building, UP High School Extension Building, the Undergraduate Expansion Building for the Mass Communication Program, and the Business Management Cluster Building.

Corro said they had to go back to the drawing boards when students opposed plans to cut down trees inside the campus.

“If you want better buildings then there should be some sacrifices to be made. Sometimes we have to face the reality. But since you do not want to cut down trees, certain adjustments were created,” she told 70 students who attended the consultation.

“Do not think that we in the academe don’t care for the trees and the environment. We’re on the same page here. All we’re doing, every development we do, is for you. Even though we are in a government institution, it’s always our vision to come up not just with the usual school buildings that you see,” Corro told the students.