Massacre of Pangasinan’s Heritage Trees
Fr. Roberto P. Reyes OFM
9 October 2015
Legazpi City
SINCE our involvement in the issue of the cutting of heritage or century trees of Pangasinan, we have openly criticized the government agencies involved, namely the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as well as the Department of Public Works and Highways.
From the time we actually witnessed the indiscriminate and wholesale cutting of heritage or century trees from Urdaneta to Binalonan and finally in Pozorrubio sometime December 2014, we have constantly reached out to the said government offices and agencies and expressed strong opposition to the wholesale massacre of trees. Even if some of us are from Manila and elsewhere, we found ways of going to Pangasinan to either stage a protest rally against the massacre of trees or to talk to local government officials. We have conscientiously performed our duty as citizens and friends of nature to either promote or defend trees. Thus far the serious environmental crime already involves the killing of more than 1500.
Just a few weeks ago, environmentalists from Pangasinan and elsewhere have staged protests rallies calling on people to save the few remaining trees that can still be seen from Binalonan to Pozzorubio. It is strange that none of those fighting for this vital cause has been invited to the recently concluded First Pangasinan Environmental Summit organized by the Provincial Government and the DENR. Was this a simple oversight or a case of political accommodation? On the list of topics taken up during the summit there seems to be not even a subtle allusion to this otherwise very public and scandalous environmental issue.
Of course the National Greening Program was number one on the list. What irony that our government continues to talk about planting seedlings or baby trees while turning a blind eye to the cutting of century and heritage trees. As more and more of the North Luzon Road is transformed into a wide and treeless concrete desert, a more subtle massacre is taking place, that of historical, cultural and natural memory. I wonder whether the glaring absence of both the issue and NGO’s involved in the issue of the massacre of trees is a conscious part of the usual politics of malicious forgetfulness.
No wonder the film Heneral Luna has survived more than five weeks. Our people have been suffering from a deep thirst for history. We want to know the truth no matter how painful and finally given the choice to distinguish between propaganda and fact. In the movie the usual heroes of the Philippine American War are now cast in a dubious light. The massacre of trees is not a movie. It is real. An ocean of nature’s blood has already been spilled and will continue unless the traitors and murderers are stopped.
In the movie, the nation’s fingers are led to angrily and menacingly point to new traitors. There are traitors in government agencies as well as LGUs who continue to plot the murder of Pangasinan’s century and heritage trees. Shouldn’t another summit, not an official Government sponsored but a “People’s and Nature’s Summit” be convened in order to discuss Pangasinan’s political and environmental history both past and current? This People’s and Nature’s Summit will and should discuss real issues where heroes and traitors will inevitably emerge, where the painful and inconvenient truth will be asked to serve justice.
Do not fear DENR Secretary Paje and DPWH Secretary Singson and LGU officials- you will all be invited to attend this summit but bear with the people and Mother Nature who will not present beautiful concepts and impressive accomplishment reports. There will be the unsavoury sight of shooting, hacking and heckling but instead of seeing the beastly and heartless murder of Heneral Luna we shall all see the beastly and shameless massacre of Pangasinan’s Century and Heritage Trees.
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