Third option for south Cebu trees

Cut down the trees lining Cebu South Road from Naga to Carcar cities. Do not keep them just for sentimental reasons. Block not the path to progress.

Some members of the  Provincial Board on Monday vitually gave their imprimatur to the death of  trees in favor of a four-lane country highway.

The chorus by Board Members Wilfredo Caminero, Sun Shimura, and Julian Daan was not heard many moons ago, when the question to cut or not to cut at least 155 trees, including 25 century-old acacias, first  surfaced.

Why sail with the winds of change now?

Earth-balling at least 16 healthy acacia trees in Naga would be too costly at almost P1 million each.

The safety of motorists traveling south should be  given priority,  Caminero said, as he wondered how zigzagging around trees left in the middle of the road would fare.

Wider roads will last forever  but all trees eventually die, Daan said.

Greater would be the peril that comes from leaving the trees untouched and quarrying the mountains to make space for a wider road, Shimura said.

We agree that  earth-balling  trees at a cost of P130 million is too steep a price for giving them  a new lease on life. The low survival rate also makes the option impractical.

However,  it is inordinately simplistic to say that those who want to keep the trees alive are  indulging in selfish sentiment.

History, heritage,  oxygen, beauty, cool shade, visual relief from urban stress, tourism appeal, local identity –  these elements have value that don’t get measured as easily as the cost of concrete mix and a contract kickback.

Engineers  can widen a road in a few weeks, but you can’t  replace  a  greenbelt on the same deadline.

Are trees to blame for  road mishaps?

No, poor planning   is what leads to the absurd situation where a contractor is allowed to start bulldozing and pouring cement on a straight course that has tree trunks and utility poles still standing in its way.

Poor planning – or deliberate neglect to think ahead about the consequences  – is what turns  majestic landmarks of nature that took three generations to grow into expendable  obstructions.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has had a year since an outcry was first raised against axing century-old  trees to consider options of redesigning the south road expansion in order to preserve large, aged trees as  pillars in a center island with wider lanes on both sides or to  establish a diversion road.

What happened to this recommendation?

It was  endorsed strongly by Gov. Gwen Garcia, environment groups, and yes, token endorsement at the time by Rep. Eduardo Gullas as well.

Options of costly earth-balling and cutting all  the trees are not the only choices to be made.

The third option is there and should be taken seriously by stakeholders.