Without her, life is not possible. Like most mothers, she is all-giving and nurturing. Yet, Mother Nature’s abundance and unique capacity for regeneration has triggered humans’ seemingly insatiable lust for more of her finite resources and the consequent-but-transient-prosperity it brings, even beyond her carrying capacity.
Without lush forests, the habitat of species of flora and fauna, its once-rich biodiversity are just figments of memories of the decades past. It is amazing, however, that in the small patches of forest that are left such as Tabunan in Cebu City, amazing but gravely threatened species still exist. Endemic birds such as the Black Shama, known as Siloy, the Cebu Flower Pecker and the Cebu Hawk Owl could not possibly survive without the trees as their habitat.
With a cover of less than 1 percent, Cebu, as an example, has substantially lost its forests. It is not surprising therefore that is considered as the 8th most vulnerable province in the Philippines to landslide.
It will not also elicit astonishment that Cebu, a major tourism and economic hub, is predicted to be hit hard with severe water shortage crisis by 2025. Growing population, lack of prioritization for watersheds and forest management, unpredictability of the climate system due to climate change, among others, certainly contribute to the challenges. Do we honestly expect to have potable sources of water without a sustainable ecosystem management in place, administered by sustainability-minded and long-term thinkers and implementers from local government units and the national agencies?
Yes, we have taken our trees largely for granted. Our anthropocentric philosophy has made us believe in the lies that we concocted for our convenience–that is, we can live without them and worse, we can destroy them easily as well, without a care for the generations that will stand to suffer most from our rapacity and indifference.
The business-as-usual mindset, political patronage and the pervasive lack of respect for the rule of law and the human and environmental rights of the citizens in this country are the biggest stumbling blocks in pushing us towards a sustainable path to development.
The reported and surprising revival of the tree-cutting by the Department of Public Works and Highways of the century-old trees from Carcar City to Naga City for a road-widening pork project of a congressman, done without the required public consultation and sanggunian approval does not dovetail with the process and policies required by our laws, including the Local Government Code, and climate change and heritage related laws.
Some heads of the local government units have conveniently forgotten perhaps that they have not even crafted, in a participatory manner, a road map to minimize the air, land and water pollution and lessen the health issues that the constituents are facing. There are pending Notices to Sue from citizens that they have not even bothered to answer.
Hats off to the officials in Carcar City for taking a stand to preserve their rich cultural and natural heritage. We understand that way back 2010, they already sent a resolution to Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) asking for a Report on the condition of the trees. But, in violation of RA 9485, the empowering Anti-Red Tape Act, they have never heard from the agency. They were as surprised, as we all were, by the sudden DENR announcement of its issuance of the permit to cut the trees.
The agency should strive to be very transparent and accessible. People have lost trust in government because front line services to the public and even in this case, an affected local government unit, are simply not prioritized.
Philippine Earth Justice Center likewise requested DENR for a copy of the tree-cutting permit and other documents related to the road-widening project. But we were told that it will still decide on the action it will take. Sad. Our right to be informed and to make decisions has to wait indefinitely?
We are most grateful to Carcar City Sangguniang Panlungsod member Roger Montesclaros for sharing his time with us yesterday. My dear colleague, lawyer Liza Eisma Osorio and our students had a glimpse of the rich history and culture that Carcar City offers, and for which we all should be proud of. The dynamic team of Prof. Edna Lee, Mishka Watin and Monica Acero of the University of the Philippines Volunteers for Bike and my sister, Nenen, happily joined the group.
Our students saw the real state of the trees targeted to be cut. Apart from providing Carcar with a sense of tranquility, shade and cleaner air, most of them looked healthy. An independent scientific assessment of these precious trees will hopefully validate the initial finding.
The students also talked with the local residents who oppose the project, and felt their pain when they talked of the possibility of losing a major part of their lives. Hope more will join the growing number of people who are willing to speak for our much-abused Mother Nature.
The past week had been both inspiring and challenging. Another highlight was our meeting Gov. Hilario Davide III who showed concern on the environmental issues in Cebu and a much-welcome openness, which should pave the way for more stakeholders’ dialogue and action.