DENR probes Army and Navy Club restoration project

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said yesterday it will check if heritage trees were among those cut down as part of a project to restore the historic Army and Navy Club in Manila.

Undersecretary for Field Operations Demetrio Ignacio said the project’s developer, Oceanville Hotel & Spa Corp., was issued a tree-cutting permit, but “there is a need to validate if heritage trees were among those cut as a result of the restoration project.”

Ignacio added they are now coordinating with the DENR’s National Capital Region (NCR) office, which issued the permit.

Meanwhile, DENR-NCR director Lourdes Wagan said the permit, issued on July 31, allowed the developer to cut 31 trees and earthball 13 more.

The permit also indicated that “to the extent possible, trees to be affected by the construction should be incorporated in the design of the project to be constructed in order to minimize loss of trees.”

The DENR also required that the removed trees be replaced with 1,500 rattan trees and other species that could be grown in the area.

“We are having the area checked again just to make sure that no heritage tree was cut. But as far as I know, there is no heritage tree there or else, we will not allow that it be taken down,” Wagan said.

The Army and Navy Club is being restored and transformed into a boutique hotel.