DENR: Safeguards in place for Manila, Palawan tree-cutting activities

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Monday said strict environmental safeguards and rehabilitation measures are in place for tree-cutting activities along Quirino Avenue in Manila and at the Berong Nickel Project in Palawan.

THe DENR issued the statement amid public uproar over the tree-cutting along Quirino Avenue in Manila to give way to road widening and expressway connectivity works.

In Palawan, tree-cutting under the Berong Nickel Project comes amid long-standing opposition to mining activities in the ecologically critical province, where past operations have led to deforestation, watershed impacts, and issues on rehabilitation compliance.

In a statement, the DENR said no tree removal is authorized without a legal basis, environmental safeguards, and long-term rehabilitation requirements.

“For the Berong Nickel Project – Tree Cutting and Earth-Balling Permit, a total of 26,617 trees were authorized for cutting, while 43,743 saplings were approved for earth-balling and transplanting,” the agency said.

The DENR clarified that tree cutting in the Berong Nickel Project will not be done all at once.

“It will be implemented in phases, and each phase will proceed simultaneously with the planting of replacement trees to ensure continuous ecological recovery,” it added.

According to the DENR, the project carries a mandatory replacement ratio of 100 indigenous seedlings for every tree authorized for cutting, equivalent to at least 2,661,700 seedlings.

Replacement trees must include indigenous and mangrove species such as pagatpat, api-api, and other DENR-approved native species suited for rehabilitation.

The project is also required to maintain all planted seedlings for at least three years to ensure survival and successful establishment, along with long-term protection and stewardship of rehabilitated areas.

Local communities and families must be engaged in planting, maintenance, and protection activities, subject to DENR validation before payments are released.

It is likewise required to maintain 20-meter buffer zones along rivers and waterways, rehabilitate non-minable and protection areas, submit geo-tagged monitoring reports, and comply with strict monitoring protocols.

Oversight will be handled by DENR professional foresters and a Multipartite Monitoring Team composed of government agencies, local government units, communities, and civil society groups.

“These safeguards—similar to the strict conditions imposed in the Quirino Avenue case—ensure transparency, accountability, and long-term ecological recovery,” the DENR said.

The agency assured the public that it is closely supervising all phases of the activity and enforcing all safeguards.

“Our priority is to protect communities, uphold the law, and ensure that the environment gains more than it loses,” it added.—MCG, GMA News