DENR: Cutting of trees in Pangasinan necessary

The drive from Manila to Baguio is long, but the scenic tree-lined stretches make it pleasant. However, it seems that hundreds of stately acacia trees along the Manila North Road will soon be gone.

 

A road-widening project of the Department of Public Works and Highways from Urdaneta to Sison in Pangasinan requires the cutting of more than 300 trees, which has upset some netizens. Calling it a "chainsaw massacre," photos of the ongoing tree-cutting are being shared via Facebook and other social networking sites.

 

But the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said the tree-cutting has been studied and is necessary. 

 

Urdaneta City officer-in-charge for the DENR Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Fernando Estrada Jr. said the trees are among 341 trees covered by a permit issued in October by the DENR.

 

"Talagang kailangan na kailangan po iyan. Kasi kung yung location ng puno na sa side talaga ng kalsada, tinitingnan naman namin during inventory kung talagang affected. Kung hindi naman, hindi sinasama," said Estrada.

 

Apart from the 341 trees that will be cut, there are 90 saplings that are recommended for balling. Estrada said the CENRO together with the DPWH are identifying sites for the trees to be transferred. "May mga school na tinitingnan para sa replanting. Tinitingnan kung maaaring magkaroon ng mini-forest," he said.

 

DPWH Engineer Emmanuel Diaz also told GMA News Online that the tree cutting is necessary. "Kailangan talaga namin maputol yung mga trees. Actually, limited yung pinuputol na affected sa ongoing road-widening," he said.

 

Diaz said the permit was issued with conditions requiring the cut trees to be turned over to the DENR, which would decide how to dispose of the wood. "May usapan kami ng DENR na Department of Education ang magiging recipient ng mga kahoy," said Diaz, adding that the trees are delivered from the site to the DepEd Division Office in Binangonan.

 

Another condition stated in the permit is that for every tree, the DPWH will provide 100 saplings to be planted in areas identified by the DENR. "For 341 trees, we will be propagating 35,000 seedlings," Diaz said.

 

Likewise, Diaz maintained that they would be requesting a second permit to cut more trees, as the road-widening project will stretch from Carmen to Sison in the next five years.

 

"Necessarily, more trees will be affected as the widening progresses," he said.

 

Diaz said that other options were considered, such as widening the road with the trees in the middle. But because of the trees' position, they would not be able to form a center island. Diaz also said that because the development of the land is right next to the road, people will be displaced if the trees are not cut.

 

"It's a difficult balancing act," he said. — RSJ, GMA News