DPWH’S Dion opposes cutting of trees
PANGASINAN-LU ROAD WIDENING
THE environmental advocates in the province may have found an unlikely ally in the 2nd District office of the Department of Public Works and Highways.
District Engineer Rodolfo Dion vigorously opposed the plan of DPWH Regional Office to cut down the trees along Pangasinan-Zambales Road located in the municipality of Binmaley and Pangasinan-La Union Inter-Provincial Road (from Barangay Salay to Bantayan of Mangaldan to Barangay Longos Proper to Cayanga of San Fabian).
Are trees found along Lucao-Gayaman-Naguilayan road outside right-of-way?
DPWH Regional Director Danilo Dequito through Assistant Regional Director Ronnel Tan had written to Gov. Amado Espino III requesting for clearance, while interposing no objection to the cutting of trees to be affected by the widening of national road.
The written permit to cut trees is required by both the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the DPWH.
Curiously, Dion maintained there are no trees within the right of way along the mentioned roads.
“No tree should be cut in those areas because no trees are found within the rights of way of the highways,” Dion stressed.
He said if the permit is given, he fears that the project manager will indiscriminately cut any tree with commercial value in the area.
Dion even challenged Dequito to inspect the area and see for himself if there are indeed trees along the national road that affect the road widening project of the agency as claimed by the project manager.
Dion said only the project manager has made the claim that there are trees that are in the way of the widening project, a claim he said that was not only physically validated by the regional office but the project was not coordinated with the 2nd District office.
“Dapat mag-inspection diyan ang Region, ang project engineer lang nagsasabi nyan na may mga puno diyan, hindi nga nakiki-coordinate ang Region sa mga iniimplementang projects diyan,” Dion complained.
It will be recalled that in 2015 the provincial government opposed the cutting of almost 2,000 trees along the Manila North Road (MNR) from Rosales to Sison National Road and required terms to be met before cutting the trees. (Nora Dominguez)
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
