Trees fall for athletic field; Running priest calls it morbid

Construction workers have started cutting down trees in the Naga City Central School ground. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

The sound of screaming chainsaws pervaded the air in barangay Poblacion City of Naga yesterday, as workers start clearing a 3.2-hectare lot for an athletic field project.

As of 3 p.m. workers from the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) cut down 20 of the 79 trees inside the premises of Naga City Central School.

Mayor Valdemar Chiong is happy, even welcoming criticisms from environmental groups, because his dream to have an international standard track and field oval in the city will soon be realized.

The track and field oval will have eight 400-meter lanes made of rubberized surface.

Father Robert Reyes who is now in Tolosa calls the cutting “morbid.”

Engr. Ma. Obdulla Lescano, City of Naga’s designated CENRO officer said even if they have a permit to cut 79 trees which included exotic species like Gmelina (Gmelina arborea) and Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), and pine trees, they will work to save some of the trees within the planned athletic oval.

“We are also trying our best to save those trees that need to be saved,” Lescano said.

“There are trees that are outside the 3.2 hectares lot. So as much as possible, we will save these trees,” she added. The lot is owned by the City of Naga government.

Lescano also assured that they will replace every tree that was cut down. Each affected tree is equivalent to replacing 50 indigenous trees.

“We also need to replace these affected trees since we want to show them how sincere we are in what we are doing,” she added.

For sports

Chiong said their oval project is similar to the one found inside the Cebu City Sports Center.

The project includes the establishment of a drainage system.

Appropriation for the project is included in this year’s budget. The project would cost P68 million.

“I respect the opinion of others but I think this is part of development,” he said.

Chiong said having a rubberized track is one of his administration’s dreams.

He said this is also supported by city school division officials who wanted to have an area for their sports activities.

Chiong said the city sports division meet is now ongoing in the City of Naga.

Some of the sports activities are held at the city grounds near city hall because of the lack of venue.

They also had the provincial meet held in the City of Naga a few years back at an improvised track located inside the Naga City Central School compound.

Now that their city’s income has already grown, Chiong said, they could already afford to fund the track and field oval project.

The Naga City government is expected to earn P650 million this year to fund their P600 million annual budget.

“Dili man gyud nato na please tanan pero ato gihapon ipadayon ang project. It’s just a matter of compromising (We may not be able please everyone, but we have to proceed with the project),” he said.

“We can hold future national and international events here soon. The construction of this project is based on international standards,” Chiong added.

Lescano said the project started last May 5 but it was delayed because they waited for the special permit to cut the trees from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) central office.

The target date to finish the project will be on January 30, 2015.

The P68 million budgeted for the project is funded by the City of Naga government and the Special Education Fund (SEF) of the Department of Education (DepEd).

Environment Undersecretary Demetrio Ignacio issued the clearance to cut trees last Sept. 25. DENR-7 Regional Executive Director Isabelo Montejo issued the tree cutting permit last Oct. 22.

Lescano said the 3.2 hectares of lot located within the premises of the Naga City Central School is the ideal place to build the track and field oval.

Morbid

Fr. Robert Reyes, the running priest cited the “morbid timing” of the cutting of trees to Mayor Chiong.

“What morbid timing, morbid lack of understanding to once more kill trees just a few days before the first year anniversary of Yolanda.”

Reyes was at Tolosa, Leyte yesterday running towards Tacloban in commemoration of the first year anniversary of supertyphoon Yolanda.

He also said the trees cut for the oval project are not sick or dying.

“We must stop harming those trees. Mayor Chiong, by cutting those trees you are also harming and hurting yourself and your people. Please remember Yolanda and the destruction and death,” Fr. Reyes said.

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