Environmentalists tie ribbons on endangered Pangasinan trees

BINALONAN, Pangasinan, Philippines – Environmentalists yesterday tied ribbons around trees along the Manila North Road here in a bid to save them from being cut down.

The cutting of the trees will pave the way for a road widening project in this town as well as in the municipalities of Pozorrubio, Urdaneta and Villasis, all in this pro-vince.

Environmentalists urged the Filipinos to support their move and save the trees.

The group was led by Virginia Pasalo, founding chairman of the Women in Development Foundation; running priest Robert Reyes and artist Dong Abay.

Pasalo said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) applied for a permit with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to cut down 500 trees along the north road located in the said municipalities.

She said the two agencies cut more than 1,000 trees in 2013.

“Civil society organizations stopped the massacre of the remaining 700 trees, but these were girdled to ensure that they would die later. But most of the trees survived except for the 180 identified as dead and dying,” Pasalo said.

She said in cutting down the trees, the government agencies invoked the right of the state to confiscate and destroy life and property for the sake of pursuing national development programs.

Reyes urged the residents to adopt and protect the remaining trees, as he blessed them during the activity.

Abay urged the youth to join them in their efforts to save the trees.