Mayor Guico welcomes tree-cutting permit
BINALONAN—The mayor here welcomed the issuance of the much-awaited special tree cutting permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to remove 589 trees along the Manila North Road (MNR).
Mayor Ramon Guico III told local newsmen Tuesday that the permit signed by DENR Regional Executive Director Paquito Moreno would finally put to rest this issue (whether to proceed with the tree cutting or not).
“I am for trees. I love nature…. I would rather see green than cold bricks and concrete,” Guico said.
But he added that “there’s a place for everything and what’s for the road is, for the road”.
He said with the permit, they can also proceed with their other local infrastructure projects as “we are itching to install street lights, tricycle terminals, drainage systems.”
He said they have also their Greening Binalonan project, planting thousands of tree seedlings in far-flung areas, not along the road sides that pose danger to riding public. He added that around the town hall, they preserve century-old trees.
“There’s a proper place for trees,” he said.
He said it was too dangerous for travelers, especially at night, as trees have no reflectorized signage and drivers can hit them anytime when the MNR road widening project was stalled because of trees that obstruct the project.
“Why don’t we focus on the wanton cutting of trees in the upland rather than tree cutting for road widening in lowlands like along the MNR?,” Guico asked.
District Engineer Emmanuel Diaz based in Rosales town said under whose area falls the MNR road widening project said the contractor, Pajate Construction, is fast tracking the cutting of trees which started Monday by hiring more men to do the work to beat the deadline on December 15.
The special tree-cutting permit for the 589 trees and 107 other trees that are to be earth-balled, was issued by the DENR dated Oct. 30 signed by yet but was received by Diaz’s office only on Nov. 19.
The 589 trees were left from the 1,829 trees marked to be cut in an earlier permit issued by the DENR in November 2013. The permit expired in February 2014 leaving the 589 trees left uncut, thus another permit was sought.
The traffic hazards and the danger that these dead and dying trees pose to the general public have also been the basis of the Sangguniang Bayan of Binalonan and Pozorrubio, Pangasinan to pass Resolutions No. 2015-12 and 2015-04 respectively, requesting the DENR to cut the “certified dead trees along the national highway” within the territorial jurisdiction of the said municipalities. (Tita Roces)
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