"Ill-legal" cutting of trees

How does one kill a tree? Plant it in Cebu City!

 I know many of you have noticed how our cityscape has drastically changed lately, and it’s not because of flyover(s) being built or not being built. In connection to a tree-related accident that has left one man dead, the city government has engaged in a widespread (O.A.) pruning activity, leaving most trees along our main thoroughfares looking like oversized stumps.

 While I always laud Mayor Mike Rama for being so ADHD when reacting to many of our city’s problems (I say ADHD because our mayor is so energetic, hyperactive even, in responding to whatever: from flooding, illegal settlers in creeks/rivers who contribute to the flooding, to just about anything), which is generally a good thing, I don’t particularly appreciate how our trees are being treated. Compared to a lethargic local chief executive who might only have enough energy for the next potshot or sound bite for the media’s consumption, I appreciate Rama’s ADHD. But I implore to the good mayor’s sense of judgment—spare the trees!

 I say “ill-legal” cutting because the operation might be completely “legal,” especially considering that it’s the government’s pruning drive, but it’s “ill” because it leaves our otherwise beautiful trees looking so hideous and unseemly. This O.A. (yes, overacting) over-reaction (yes, I’d like to be redundant on this) to one accident should be reconsidered. I spoke to a horticulturist, an expert in these things, who says all the pruning (or cutting) of our trees are done in ways inconsistent to how they ought to be done to consider the life of the trees. It’s a horror movie come to life—like the “night of the living dead” trees – they’re alive but look like they’re dead. And some of them might actually end up dying, if you ask my horticulturist friend. 

 I pulled over in Gorordo a few weeks ago after seeing trucks in the middle of a pruning operation. I asked who ordered the pruning and why so radical and severe, like they didn’t care for the trees. They said the mayor ordered it because of the recent accident. I retorted “but most trees have little or no more leaves left, how can the process of photosynthesis take place, especially for the giant acacia trees that might need more ‘food’ to survive. What if they die?” One of them answered:“Aw, bahala’g mamatay, wa na mi labot ana, kaysa naay maaksidente napud!” (doesn’t matter if they die, that’s none of our concern, that’s better than having a repeat of the accident) What?! Que horror!

 If someone accidentally falls from a cliff and dies, do you flatten the hill, change the topography of the land to prevent future accidents? If someone gets run over by a car and dies, do you stop cars from plying our roads to prevent vehicular accidents from happening again? God rest their souls but accidents are accidents. Accidents happen. But just because they do, it doesn’t mean we have to put our lives (or the trees lives) on hold. That’s why we have policies, regulations, signage, to make sure people are made aware and accidents are prevented.

 I agree that action must be taken. Trees should be examined by experts and those that need pruning gotta be pruned. Those that pose risks to people may well be cut (or supported, if it’s still possible). But please, not like how we’re doing it now. And please, with people who also care for the trees they prune.

 I’m not an expert, but my horticulturist friend is. And as per several verified online sources, there are many ways unskilled pruners can kill trees, some of them include “pruning randomly to leave branch ‘stubs;’ pruning flash cuts to reduce wound closure.” And we see these in the city’s operations. How not to kill a tree when pruning? “Cut branches back to laterals so you don’t leave stubs to which branches will die back; do not make flash cuts, cut on the outside of the branch bark collar.”

 “Topping (which we see being done to most trees around the city) is a very severe form of pruning which involves removing all branches and growths down to a few large branches or to the trunk of the tree. When performed correctly it is used on very young trees, and can be used to begin training younger trees for pollarding  or for trellising  to form an espalier .” Note that topping is for very young trees. Most trees that line our major roads are decades-old.

 I also hope that they save (through the “balling” method, diverting a few meters, or whatever) the giant balete (rubber) tree on M. Velez, the one before reaching the Capitol after crossing the bridge from Guadalupe. I was furious (and many of my friends were too) when they chopped down those huge acacia trees in Escario when they widened the roads there a few years ago.

 Advocates against the flyovers should also speak up for and in behalf of our trees, these divine giants being part of our city’s beautiful heritage—many of them standing tall as proud living witnesses to our amazing history as a city and province. And no development should hurt them or hamper their growth.

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  Tonight on The Bottomline with Boy Abunda: The usually outspoken Martin Nievera gets even more forthright on his rollercoaster journey as a father, husband, and ‘Concert King.’ He also shares his frustrations on his bid to be an international star.

 Watch it after Banana Split on ABS-CBN. Encore telecast on the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC), Sunday, 1:00 pm.

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