Gullas joins call to preserve acacia trees

CEBU, Philippines - Former First District Representative Jose "Dodong" Gullas has added his voice to growing calls for the Department of Public Works and Higways (DPWH-7 not to touch the acacia trees dotting the Naga-Carcar stretch of the south road.

"I am appealing to them, please do not touch the acacia trees in Perrelos, Carcar (City), not even one. Tree is life," said Gullas, in an ambush interview with The FREEMAN yesterday.

He said the acacia trees in Perrelos are part of history and have become tourist attractions.

"Daghan mga (Many) foreigners nga mohunong lang gyud nganhang dapita (stop there) just to take pictures. It has become a tourist attraction," said Gullas, a Carcaranon.

He congratulated the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for making a stand that no acacia trees will be cut in the implementation  of the said road project in the Carcar area.

DENR-7 Information Officer Eddie Llamedo said that DPWH-7 have not applied for any special permit to cut the acacia trees in Perrelos.

"The DENR stand is that no acacia trees in Perrelos, Carcar should be cut," said Llamedo, in an interview with the media after their technical conference with DPWH-7 officials.

He said that DPWH should redesign its road widening project just to spare the trees in Perrelos.

"Kay dili gyud mosugot ang (Because the) DENR nga naay maputol nga mga (would not agree to cut any of the) acacia tree sa (in) Perrelos," he added.

In a separate statement, DENR-7 Executive Director Isabelo Montejo also said that the acacia or rain trees (Samanea saman) in Perrelos are not covered under the special tree cutting permit (STCP) issued to DPWH-7 recently.

He said that the STCP covers only a less than-two-kilometer stretch of road traversing the three City of Naga barangays of Tinaan, Langtad, and Inoburan.

Montejo issued the clarification after it was thought that the STCP issued to DPWH-7 earlier also covers the Perrelos acacia trees.

 "The message now that I would like to stress is that the Perrelos acacia trees should remain there and should not be cut down or earth-balled.  If ever there's a proposal for the widening of the road network, it should be designed to preserve those trees," Montejo added.

The DPWH-7 would also submit to the DENR-7 a schedule of activities or implementation plan this Friday, October 18.

The schedule or plan should include the date of the planting of around 13,800 replacement native and indigenous trees in Barangay Tagjaguimit, City of Naga; road-side planting of trees along the highway to be identified by the DPWH; relocation of earth-balled trees (South Road Properties or at the Naga Reclamation Area); and the conduct of a thorough and genuine public consultation, with full documentation and minutes of the meeting.

It was likewise agreed during the meeting with DPWH-7 that the assessment of trees to be affected in terms of biodiversity, carbon sequestration potential, and water storage would be made by either an independent group or by DENR 7. If DPWH wants DENR to conduct the assessment, it make a request if.

There are 12 conditions to be seriously complied with under the STCP, including that the 16th century-old acacia trees would not be removed.

DENR-7 has issued a STCP No. R7-05-09302013 consistent with the Sept. 10 clearance made by DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations Demetrio Ignacio Jr.

Based on the permit signed by Montejo, as cleared by Ignacio, some 42 trees, including eight century-old acacia trees which are in an advanced stage of decay, would be cut down or transferred.

The order also stated that 34 of the 42 are trees that are 26 cm. and above in diameter.

Similarly, at least 96 trees that were 25 cm. below in diameter should be earth-balled while 16 should not be cut down, as they will be further subjected to tree surgery, correct pruning and rehabilitation of decayed branches and stubs.

DPWH-7 Project Engineer Danilo Gumali said that the 1.3-kilometer road (phase one) that traverses Tinaan, Langtad, and Inoburan is already 98 percent completed.

He said, though, that work on phase one of the road widening project is indefinitely suspended, as DENR-7 still gave them more requirements to comply with before they could cut seven decayed acacia trees.

The P78-million project started in July last year and was originally scheduled to be finished by the third week of this month.

"Wala pa mi ma-delayed but with the requirements set by DENR, mora og ma-delayed gyud," Gumali said.  (FREEMAN)