QC residents dismayed over cutting, pruning of 50 trees in public park

TRIMMED? A tree is shorn of its leaves after a pruning and cutting project is approved by officials in Barangay Philam. —Lyn rillon

Sitting in the middle of towering structures and busy roads in northeastern Metro Manila is a 3-hectare public park on Baguio Road in Barangay Philam, Quezon City.

It is home to around 800 species of trees, like acacia, narra and gmelina, that have been planted by homeowners and community volunteers since 1955.

But some residents have expressed alarm over the recent cutting and pruning of 50 evergreen and hardwood trees around a covered court in the park.

Barangay chair airs side

Barangay Philam chair Simplicio Hermogenes said he gave the order as a “precaution [against] potential damage to [property]” in the area.

“We were also [directed] by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to identify our evacuation centers for the ‘Big One’ [earthquake] and it is the 5,000-square-meter football/basketball field,” he said.

“Our problem was that the trees had grown so much and we had to cut them because they [posed a risk]. We’ll keep on trimming tall trees because trees that are uniform in height look pleasant, too,” Hermogenes told the Inquirer.

Chair’s tally

By his own count, three acacia, two narra and three gmelina trees were cut. The rest were pruned or trimmed, their height reduced to 15 to 25 feet from 30 feet.

Dead or overgrown branches were also removed.

According to the National Capital Region (NCR) office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), tree-cutting and pruning activities are allowed only if the petitioner meets specific requirements and after applying for a permit.

On Jan. 8, the DENR-NCR’s  forest utilization section issued a permit to Barangay Philam for the cutting and pruning of acacia, banaba, camachile, eucalyptus, fire tree, gmelina, mahogany, molave, narra and rain trees in the park.

But the permit’s effectivity lapsed after the village failed to hire a DENR-affiliated contractor to do the work, said Hermogenes.

The DENR, however, granted his request to extend the permit’s validity for another 30 days on July 10. This time, Hermogenes said the village hired Jer-val Enterprises from Valenzuela City to do the pruning and cutting for P160,000.

Hermogenes also told the Inquirer that as required by law, a DENR field officer supervised the activity.

Woodpiles at the park

When contacted by the Inquirer, a DENR-NCR forestry officer said he would have to verify whether a field officer was indeed present during the trimming and cutting.

The DENR would also inspect the area to determine if no regulations were violated.

In the meantime, what will happen to the wood from the cut or pruned trees? As of last week, woodpiles were still stocked in the park.

Hermogenes said the shavings would go to a composite facility while anyone could ask for the hardwood.

“Some accuse me of selling the timber in Bulacan province, but I only give them out for free,” he stressed.