A field cleared of trees by Sun Asia Energy Inc. for a solar plant in barangay Talavera, Toledo City. Some trees were already bulldozed and covered with soil when DENR inspected the site. (DENR 7)
THE first batch of the 982 trees illegally cut down in Toledo City were turned over by the First Toledo Solar Energy Corp. to barangay Talavera officials in Toledo yesterday.
A loader was used to transport the trees 300 meters away from the property owned by Gino Baltao, said barangay Talavera chairman Nestor Mahinog.
“We have deployed four watchmen to secure the trees and to make sure that these will not fall into the hands of charcoal-makers,” Mahinog told Cebu Daily News.
Checkpoints were set up within sitio Ylaya where the trees are kept, he said.
“I can assure that the felled trees are safe as well as the 27 trees still standing,” Mahinog said.
At least 982 trees of assorted species, including a century-old Lamio forest tree, were cut down since September to clear land for a solar energy project.
Aside from Acacia, Mahogany and Gmelina, other trees cut were native species of Narra, Tipolo, Pangantoon, Bangkal, Bagalunga and Lanutan.
The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) said the tree-cutting started sometime in September this year without a permit.
The total volume of trees cut was measured at 2,190 cubic meters or 928,560 board feet with an estimated value of P18.5 million. A board foot is equivalent to P20.
A cease-and-desist order (CDO) was issued by the DENR.
“What is lacking is the cutting permit. That’s it,” Mahinog said.
Mahinog said there were public hearings before to secure an endorsement from the barangay since it was discussed that the project could employ 400 people.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) identified Sun Asia Energy Inc. (SAEI) as the project developer, First Toledo Solar Energy Corporation as the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) holder and Baltao as the property owner.
The three parties failed to show up last Thursday for an adjudication proceeding in CENRO, which has decided to proceed with legal action.