71 trees to find new homes in parks in Cebu City — Guardo

The Department of Public Works and Highways in Central Visayas (DPWH-7) has put up a notice of approved tree-cutting permit along Don Gil Garcia Street last September 21, 2019. | Delta Letigio

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Another 71 trees will have to go to pave way for development, but in this case, the trees will find new homes in the Cebu City parks.

Councilor Jerry Guardo, chairperson for the committee on the infrastructure of the City Council, said this after the council’s approval for the earth balling of the trees.

The lot in Barangay Guadalupe will be the site of a new building in the compound of the Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas that has been approved for construction.

Guardo said the 71 trees would be directly affected, but the city encouraged the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), to earthball the trees instead of cutting them because the trees were young and could still be transferred.

Since the trees were fruit trees, Guardo said the city was planning to place them in some of the parks in the city so they could have the chance to grow.

“We are not going to cut the trees. There is no need because they can be transferred to our parks. This will actually benefit the city,” said Guardo.

Read more: Guardo: 122 trees along N. Bacalso Avenue need to be cut, transferred

Guardo said that the city would try to save as many trees as it could through earth balling, although some trees would also need to be cut because they were too big or too brittle to be transferred.

The councilor said that they would try to hit a balance between development and preserving nature and assured the public that the trees in the city would always be given a chance to grow.

The 71 trees will join the 19 trees from N. Bacalso Highway that will also be earth balled and transferred in either the parks of the mountain barangays in the city.

Only three trees will be cut from N. Bacalso Highway to pave way for the road-widening projects. /dbs