MCWD exec cries foul over tree allegations

CEBU, Philippines - An official of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District said it is very unlikely that their damaged pipeline, which flooded areas of Sergio Osmeña Boulevard, toppled down the controversial 79 indigenous trees.

Noel Dalena, assistant manager of MCWD’s Pipeline Maintenance Group, said it appears that the damaged pipeline is being used as an excuse to justify the disappearance of the trees.

“Impossible sad kaayo na. Grabe ra sad na nga ilahang gihimong scapegoat ang MCWD,” Dalena told The FREEMAN.

He admitted that their pipeline had burst but this was allegedly because of the ongoing road rehabilitation project.

“Pag-adto namo sa area, wa na may mga trees. Ni-burst ang pipeline tungod ra sad nila. Maybe natandog ang pipeline mao to nag-flooding ang area. But that flooding is not enough reason nga mangatumba ang 79 ka mga kahoy,” Dalena reasoned.

Marie Nillama, information officer of the Department of Public Works and Highways-7, had said it is possible that the trees toppled down because the soil had softened because of the flooding caused by the damaged pipeline.

“Gagmay ra man sad to ang mga kahoy. Maybe natumba kay medyo nalapok na ang soil tungod sa flood. Pila sad baya to ka oras nag-flood before naayo,” Nillama said.

In an explanation submitted to DENR last April 8, DPWH-7 Director Ador Canlas said the MCWD pipeline burst on March 28 and again on March 31, which rendered the area unworkable.

Canlas said it was on March 31 when personnel of the Parks and Playground Commission first informed them that some of the trees ready for earth-balling were missing.

“As to the reported removal/balling out of trees on March 30, 2014, based on our project logbook, no activity was observed during that day and even during the day prior to that due to the burst MCWD pipes,” Canlas stated.

  DENR-7 Executive Director Isabelo Montejo said, however, that the explanation did not address the issue of the “missing” trees satisfactorily.

Montejo said that the eight-point set of events indicated by DPWH-7 does not answer a basic question, “Where have the 79 trees gone?”

“We thought that it was highly improbable and unlikely that a burst MCWD pipe could have resulted a flooding which cause trees to fall down as explained by DPWH 7 and WT Construction Inc.  Also, the explanation does not mention exhaustive or extensive efforts to exactly locate these trees on the part of DPWH-7 as an earth-ball permit holder,” Montejo said in a statement.

 Montejo even cited a “cloudburst” incident that hit Cebu City on January 25, 2011, which carried a 100-millimeter rainfall similar to the average amount of rain that falls in a month. On that day, several areas in the city particularly Barangay Mabolo and the North Reclamation Area, experienced heavy flashfloods yet no tree tumbled down or disappeared.

Results of the April 4, 2014 re-inventory by Forester Felimon Embalzado Jr. indicated that at least 79 species were removed and around 66 remain standing.

DENR-7 has already sued six officials of WT Construction Inc. and Adolfo Quiroga, project-in-charge of WTCI, for illegal destruction of trees.  (FREEMAN)