‘Pork’ threatens 100-yr-old Cebu trees

SOME of these trees, to be removed to give way to a pork-funded road expansion project in Cebu, are at least 100 years old and could outlive these former legislators (inset), who are pushing for the project. TONEE DESPOJO/CEBU DAILY NEWS

CEBU CITY – Protests are growing against plans to cut down or transfer at least 42 trees, many of them at least a century old, to give way to a P1.5-billion pork-funded road expansion project of the government in the cities of Naga and Carcar, and the town of San Fernando in Cebu province.

The road-widening project is being pushed by former Representative Eduardo Gullas, who has endorsed the project to be funded through his pork barrel. Gullas caused the release of P425 million of public funds, credited as his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), to push for the project.

Another former congressman, Tomas Osmeña, caused the release of at least P400 million of public funds, credited as his pork, for the road project.

Gullas has been identified in a Commission on Audit report as among several congressmen who channeled public funds, credited as pork barrel, to alleged bogus nongovernment organizations for projects implemented by the Philippine Forest Corp.

Gullas said the groups that received public funds, credited as his pork, were legitimate.

It seeks to widen a two-lane road linking the cities of Naga and Carcar, and the town of San Fernando to make it a four-lane highway.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which is implementing the project, has been given a go-signal by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to cut down or relocate trees that stand in the way of the road expansion.

Many of the trees, however, are at least 100 years old.

Lawyer Rose Liza Eisma-Osorio, of the environmental group Philippine Earth Justice Center, said the two departments are liable for sacrificing trees for the road project instead of exploring alternatives to cutting down trees.

Opponents of the plan to cut down trees said the project design could be adjusted to spare the trees.

A Cebuano blogger, Balbino Guerrero, has initiated an online petition to stop the cutting of trees.

Didit Fernandez, a resident of Talisay, said trees are blessings and sacrificing them for the road project would be like throwing blessings away.

Valdemar Chiong, mayor of Naga City, however, said he supported the cutting of the trees. He said some of the trees had become road hazards, citing an incident during which an acacia tree fell in July, causing a traffic jam and a power outage.

The mayor said he had asked village officials in his city to give clearance to the DPWH to either cut or earth ball the trees.

In 2010, the road expansion project received a P27-million allocation from the national budget for property acquisition to settle right-of-way claims.

Gullas had said another P123 million was allocated in 2011 and 2012.

The firm AR Adlawan Construction won the bidding for the first segment of the project worth P71.1 million.