Saving the trees of Naga and Carcar

I love the stretch of the highway in Naga and Carcar where the rain trees are. From childhood, the towering trees served as my personal landmark that we were out of the city and closer to our destination, usually Sibonga or Boljoon.

The trees were also a source of stories about the supernatural, with some drivers claiming to always honk their horns when passing the area to warn the unseen beings that vehicles were passing through. It was said that not doing so would incur the wrath of such beings and result in accidents. Thus, when I was much younger, I would avoid looking outside when we passed the trees at night because I was afraid that I might see whatever it was that the drivers were afraid of.

When I first heard about the plan to cut down these rain trees for a road-widening project, all I could think about was how long (or short) a time was available to stop it from happening.

The law prohibits lower courts from issuing temporary restraining orders (TRO) and injunction orders against the government, or any of its subdivisions, officials or any person or entity, whether public or private acting under the government direction, in government infrastructure projects. Would the Supreme Court issue a TRO? I also wondered if a petition for the issuance of a writ of kalikasan could be filed to save the trees. It was easier to focus on things that could still be done rather than feel sad.

News articles that appeared after the issue erupted gave me cause to be more optimistic about the fate of the rain trees. Governor Gwen Garcia and Congressman Eduardo Gullas both said that they were against the cutting of the old trees. Congressman Gullas stated that a feasibility study would be conducted to determine alternatives for the road project.

I am crossing my fingers and hoping that the Department of Public Works and Highways would come up with a way to widen the road without having to cut down the trees. In Katipunan Avenue in Balara, Quezon City, for example, similar century-old trees were spared in a road-widening project and now stand on the middle island.

While this alternative may be more expensive in the short term because more land may have to be expropriated, saving trees now is more beneficial in the long run. This takes me to my next point—how much is a tree worth?

A friend and I have been exchanging articles on this subject. The articles are clear about one thing—a tree is worth more than the wood produced when cut. A tree can absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. It can absorb other pollutants. It provides shade, which can translate to lower energy costs for nearby buildings. It makes weary

commuters feel better just by looking at it. A Hong Kong study showed that having trees near a property increased the property’s value.

These are matters that should be considered in the feasibility study to be conducted for the road-widening project. Cebu does not have a lot of trees left and it will take another one hundred years before we get something similar to the gorgeous ones that remain standing beside the highway in Naga and Carcar. If the efforts of concerned Cebuanos to save the trees fail, I just hope that the unseen beings that drivers are wary of have a better and more effective way to keep their homes from being cut.

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