Trees’ days not numbered, say execs of tagging signs

This tree and 197 others lining the Manila North Road in Barangay Balite in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga, were tagged with numbers not for cutting but for an inventory to save them as heritage trees. E.I. REYMOND T. OREJAS/CONTRIBUTOR

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—Large numbers that were recently painted on 198 trees lining the Manila North Road (MNR) segment in Barangay Balite here have renewed fears about their displacement to make way for road widening.

The trees, on both sides of the road’s more than 3-kilometer stretch, were earlier painted with human figures by the Save the Trees Coalition, which opposes government road projects that require the cutting of trees.

But a government official said the fears were unfounded. “[The new tagging operation] is part of the inventory that we need to do as advised by the [Department of Environment and Natural Resources]. [The city government] asked for assistance because we are pushing for an ordinance seeking to declare these as heritage trees,” said Anele David, head of the city’s environment office.

Canopy for people

Planted three to five meters apart, these trees form a canopy that serves as cool shade for motorists and commuters.

These trees, as well as those lining the road in Barangay Del Rosario, were what remained after more than 200 trees were felled or replanted in other sites to allow the expansion of MNR there by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Antonio Molano Jr., DPWH regional director, said his agency is preserving the trees on the instruction of Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson.

The agency built service roads on both sides of MNR in Balite without cutting or removing trees.

In September last year, Singson directed regional and district engineering offices to spend for the regular pruning or trimming of trees, most of them more than 50 years old, along the right-of-way of national roads for the safety of motorists. Only damaged trees were allowed to be cut.

The local government has planted 15,000 trees in the city since 2013.

David said no harm was inflicted on the trees as a water-based paint was used to write the numbers. “The next step would be to assess each tree to determine its life span. We are one with you in saving those trees. No tree cutting will be done there,” David said.

She said her office would install a sign explaining what the tags are all about to avoid any confusion. Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon