DPWH, DENR agree to revive cut trees
LINGAYEN—Finally, after months of tense negotiations over the controversial move to cut and remove all the trees that get in the way of the expansion of the Manila North Road, a unanimous agreement was reached among government agencies and other stakeholders that the cutting of the trees will be stopped.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) along with the provincial government and other stakeholders also agreed to save the remaining over 700 trees- including the 21 that DENR certified as dead- along the Manila North Road (MNR).
In their consultative meeting last August 26, 2014 in Lingayen, the representatives of the provincial government, DPWH, DENR, and various environmentalists groups agreed on three courses of action.
The first: “There will be no more cutting of trees, except that a tree may be felled only upon final determination by an independent expert with the concurrence of all parties/agencies in interest that the tree has no more chance of survival.”
Second: “DENR and the DPWH shall implement immediate and effective measures to heal and rehabilitate the trees.”
And third: “An independent expert who has the capacity to determine the status of the trees shall be consulted, and together with all agencies and groups here present, shall jointly accompany the expert in the actual inspection of all affected trees.”
Rafael Howard Baraan, provincial administrator, said the agencies present in the meeting will conduct an inspection of the trees immediately on August 27.
“All measures shall be exerted to save the trees,” he remarked as he asked the DENR to look into the situation and determine which of the status of 21 trees mapped out for removal have chances to survive.
Meanwhile, provincial environment and natural resources officer Leduina Co, cited the Aug. 11 order of DENR Sec. Ramon Paje to all regional directors of the DENR and Environmental Management Bureau to return to the DPWH all applications for environmental compliance certificates and tree-cutting permits.
The order required all DPWH directors and engineers to prove that all options had been taken to avoid tree cutting for road projects before the DENR will allow the cutting of trees.
Narchito Arpilleda, DPWH Region 1 administrative officer, relayed to the meeting the instruction of DPWH Sec. Rogelio Singson “to continue with the (MNR) widening project without cutting trees.”
Other signatories in the agreement were Virginia Pasalo of Pangasinan Historical and Cultural Commission; Patricia Gwen Borcena of the Green Research; Julia Senga of the International Visitor Leadership Program; Fernando Estrada Jr., Teodorico Agcolicol Jr., and Alberson Sagun of the DENR; and DPWH’s Rex Paderes and Andres Nicer.
Pasalo reported that notwithstanding the Provincial Resolution No. 269-2014, two mahogany trees, which were declared ‘dead,’ have been cut and removed.
Pasalo and Senga had filed a complaint at the Urdaneta City Court against those involved in the cutting of trees
Provincial Resolution No. 269-2014 expressed the sense of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan opposing the cutting of trees along the national roads within the province, with intent to preserve as many trees as possible with stern warning to the DPWH Third Pangasinan Engineering District not to cut any of the standing big trees, more or less 700 along the MNR.
“This is an affirmation of the group’s concurrence to that resolution… this (agreement) is proof that the agencies agree to the position of the provincial board of Pangasinan that there should be no more tree cutting,” remarked Baraan.
Earlier, the MNR widening project had required the cutting of 1,829 trees along national highway in eastern Pangasinan towns- Rosales, Villasis, Binalonan, Pozorrubio, Sison, and Urdaneta City.
1,059 trees had been felled by the DPWH from November 2013 until the expiration of its tree cutting permit last February, leaving 770 trees uncut by then. (Johanne R. Macob /PNA/PIO)
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