Mall opens tree transfer site to foes, gov’t execs

BAGUIO CITY—Shopping mall giant SM will allow Wednesday environmental groups, church leaders and city officials to enter a restricted area at the SM City Baguio compound to see for themselves whether mall management had transplanted 40 alnus trees and a pine tree on April 9.

Councilor Erdolfo Balajadia, chair of the Baguio Regreening Movement, said the inspection was set during an April 16 dialogue brokered in Metro Manila by Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo.

During the dialogue, Department of Environment and Natural Resources representatives from Baguio and UP Los Baños forestry expert Dr. Jose Sargento said they monitored the balling procedure and that no tree was cut.

The trees were earth balled and replanted in approved designated sites. It was done overnight following the directive of DENR foresters to capitalize on soil moisture, said a statement by SM.

Environment Secretary Ramon Paje was in the dialogue with Baguio Mayor Mauricio Domogan and top SM officials led by Hans Sy, president of SM Prime Holdings Inc.; Annie Garcia, president of SM Supermalls, and Bien Mateo, SM Supermalls vice president for operations.

In a statement, SM said it presented details of how it incorporated environmental sustainability in an expanded SM City Baguio building. The mall also provided plans meant to “compensate for the effect of transferring the affected trees,” the statement said.

Reacting to claims it hid the process behind fences, SM said it “fenced the affected area as required in all construction sites,” and had erected a “wooden fence on the mall veranda to mitigate the dust and the noise coming from the job site.” Vincent Cabreza, Inquirer Northern Luzon