Baguio set to perform ‘surgery’ on 83 ailing trees

BAGUIO CITY - The city is set to perform surgery on 83 of its “oldest citizens" including the ailing ones along Burnham Park, officials said Friday. Mayor Reinaldo Bautista signed a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Cordillera Director Samuel Penafiel for the environment agency to teach the city's environment officers to learn tree surgery. Egidio Costales, the DENR regional technical director for research, said that the emergency cases to be performed by the City Environment, Parks and Management Office would be on the 83 ailing trees along Session Road, Harrison Road and the Burnham Park area. Costales said that the basic techniques in tree surgery may include some or all of the following: planting; transplanting; pruning; structural support; preventing, or diagnosing and treating phytopathology or parasitism; preventing or interrupting grazing or predation; installing lightning protection; and removing vegetation deemed as hazardous. Costales said that the CEPMO would be taught tree surgery for two months before they can perform on the 83 ailing trees. A study made by DENR in 2006 showed that the causes of slow death of the pine trees in the city were pests and fungus infestation. The investigation conducted by foresters Evangeline Martinez and Imelda Ngaloy showed that most of the dead pine trees at Burnham Park and Botanical Garden were infested by bark beetles. These pests attack healthy trees by boring through the trunk. Another threat is the "root rot," which caused the yellowing of the pine needles. The DENR also urged the removal of tie wires and nails around living pine trees and painting of these holes to avoid entry of pests and diseases. - GMANews.TV