UP student power saves trees on Cebu campus

CEBU CITY—Student power to protect trees also works in an autonomous unit of the country’s premier state university here.

The University of the Philippines Cebu (UP Cebu) revised plans that would involve cutting down trees on its 12.8-hectare campus along Gorordo Avenue in Barangay Lahug to make way for more buildings on the heels of strong opposition from students.

“We don’t need to cut down trees anymore,” dean Liza Corro said, but added that three trees would be “earth-balled” and replanted elsewhere. “Certain parts of the buildings to be constructed, like the size of the corridors, have to be reduced,” she said.

Dioscoro Alesna, campus architect, said the planners had to go back to their drawing boards and come up with schemes to satisfy students clamoring against tree cutting. “It’s actually a compromise. Since we do not need to cut down any tree, we also had to reduce certain areas without violating the standards in construction buildings,” he said.

At least nine trees were supposed to be removed to pave the way for the construction of the Arts and Sciences Expansion Building, UP High School Extension Building, the Undergraduate Expansion Building for the Mass Communication Program, and the Business Management Cluster Building.

“If you want better buildings, then there should be some sacrifices to be made,” Corro told some 70 students who attended a consultation meeting last month. “Sometimes we have to face the reality. But since you do not want to cut down trees, certain adjustments were created.”

Corro said the UP administration was not trying to veer away from being environment-friendly when it had earlier planned to cut down some trees affected by the infrastructure project.

“Do not think that we in the academe do not care for the trees and the environment. We’re on the same page here. All we’re doing, every development we do, is for you,” she said.

She added: “Even though we are in a government institution, it’s always our vision to come up not just with the usual school buildings that you see.”