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Tree cutting put on hold, green group wants written order

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Two days after an environmentalist group’s protest rally against the cutting of trees along the MacArthur Highway, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson put the brakes on the operation.

Alfredo Tolentino, director of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Central Luzon, said Singson issued the suspension order on Wednesday at about 10 p.m.

The order was issued as a response to the protest rally held by the Save the Trees Coalition (STC) on Tuesday. The group has rallied against the cutting of 36 trees along the road in Barangay Sindalan going to the city proper.

As of Wednesday, 16 trees have been cut.

The removal of the trees was part of DPWH’s P440 million road widening and rehabilitation project.

Aside from the suspension order, Tolentino said the secretary also told him to hold a dialogue with the STC.

Before the DPWH started cutting the trees on October 29, Tolentino said he had secured permits from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Central Luzon, the city government and the public works’ national office.

Preparing for business expansions

The road widening and rehabilitation project, Tolentino said, is the agency’s long-term solution to heavy traffic flow during rush hours.

“The widening of the roads is also a preparation for the expansion of the Clark International Airport Corporation and the coming of more investments in San Fernando,” Tolentino said.

“San Fernando is now one of the best business havens. The progress was so fast that we had to ready the roads for the influx of investors and tourists.” He said the MacArthur Highway in San Fernando gets an average daily traffic of more than 30,000 vehicles.

“If we will project the daily traffic in the next five years with the same four-lane highways that we have now, we might not accommodate these motorists anymore,” he said.

So far, roads in portions of Barangay Sindalan and Barangay Maimpis have already been widened, turning the highway into a six-lane road.

Tolentino admitted that their other option was to build a new road. However, he said, the government will have to allot substantial funds for such a project.

Tree planting program

Tolentino also admitted that the cutting of trees was a negative effect of the road widening and rehabilitation project. However, he said, a tree planting activity will follow the tree cutting.

“A part of the project was to have a tree planting program to replace the removed trees. But we will plant them in a DENR-designated place and not along the road,” he said.

Tolentino also said that not all of the trees along the highway will be cut. He said the trees along Barangay Baliti will be preserved.

However, the 36 affected trees stand at least several meters away from each other, with some even standing in the middle of the road, Tolentino said.

No treachery

Tolentino also clarified that the trees were cut during nighttime to avoid traffic snarls and risks to motorists.

“There was no treachery there as those who oppose the cutting claim. It’s just normal for us to do the work at night to avoid creating heavy traffic,” he said.

He added that he even got a call from Mayor Oscar Rodriguez, who requested him not to conduct the activity during rush hours so as not to inconvenience motorists and commuters.

Road widening deferred

Since the issuance of the suspension order, Tolentino said the road-widening activities will be stopped.

“There will be no more widening within portions that have trees,” he said, adding that the agency will just concentrate instead on working on improvements on Jose Abad Santos Avenue.

The public works regional chief said they will work only on “doable activities,” which includes the maintenance of widened roads.

Still, Tolentino said their agency is open to discussing the issue with the STC.

STC’s demand for written order

Despite the suspension order and the subsequent halt in the tree-cutting operation, STC still wants to see the order in written form.

This was announced by STC spokesperson Cecile Yumul, who added, “We want to know how long the suspension order will be. We also want a master plan of the road widening project.”

Yumul said they are still open for a dialogue with DPWH officials, contrary to what STC official Eugene Orejas disclosed on a local TV show a few days ago.

Support from green youth brigade

Meanwhile, an environmental group, consisting of young people in this city, has expressed support for the Save the Trees Coalition (STC).

The Green Youth Brigade, headed by former city councilor Louie Reyes, said it is opposed to the DPWH’s move.

Reyes said they have joined the coalition to help in the effort to save the trees.

The STC, in press statement, said that the DPWH is cutting the trees at night time to avoid the environmentalists’ opposition.

“Sa gabi ay pinuputol ng paisa-isa ang mga puno. Halimbawa, wala na ang punong Camachile sa harapan ng Pilar Village, puno sa harap ng San Fernandino Hospital, at ang puno ng Acacia sa harap ng PTT Gas Station,” the STC stated.

“Ang nakakalungkot, katabi pa man din ng Simbahan ng San Agustin ang punong pinatay. Sa umaga, bubulaga na lang sa iyo na patay na ang mga puno, pawang ugat na lang ang natira. Kung noon ang taktika ay putulin ang puno bago mag road widening; ngayon, ang taktika mag road widening at sa gabi putulin ang puno,” it added.

In a study conducted by the Pampanga Medical Society, the number of persons afflicted with respiratory diseases increased because of the cutting of more than 100 trees last year.

“Nagkakaroon din ng pagbaha tuwing tagulan sa Sindalan at ilang parte ng San Fernando kung saan walang puno. Mas titindi pa ito dahil sa climate change,” the STC lamented.

Reyes and his group started tying yellow ribbons around acacia trees along MacArthur Highway Wednesday night.

The STC is also set to hang yellow ribbon on trees with “PNOY Loves This Tree” sign along the highway.

The environmental coalition is also planning to post tarpaulins bearing a sign that says, “If We Love Our Children, Save This Tree”. (Charlene Cayabyab and Rey Navales)