"Maraming nabuwal na puno kasi hindi tama ang maintenance," says June Alvarez, a soft-spoken horticulturist who, together with brother Esty, are the tree specialists of the Clean & Green Foundation.
Trees planted along roads need special care. "These trees should be trimmed regularly because they are in an artificial environment. Many of these trees have a heavy canopy while below the ground, its roots are controlled because of its cemented surroundings," June explains.
In the case of the acacia, for instance, Esty observes that its branches are too big and therefore catch too much wind. And if its root system is not fully developed compared to its crown, the lack of equilibrium makes it easy to topple.
Even though a lot of the fallen trees were as old as 30 to 50 years, June sees a silver lining in the aftermath. "It is an opportunity for us to reintroduce our native trees to our urban environment," he says, explaining that most of those uprooted were in fact exotic or non-native trees like the gemelina, introduced to us by the Spaniards, and the acacia mangue or the so-called "yellow trees" planted during the time of President Aquino.
With or without typhoons, June laments that urban trees are badly battered, this time by human hands.
"In Metro Manila, 90 percent of damage to trees is vandalism–inuukitan, pinapakuan o naba-bangga," he says. "That’s why we also operate on trees."
"A wounded tree heals by itself but it would have a hard time if it was trimmed the wrong way," notes Esty.
Vandalizing trees includes improper pruning, putting trash in holes or gaps in trees, or carving its bark, whether with a lovers’ heart or one’s initials. But the most common is hammering nails into the bark, a practice that unfortunately becomes very common when elections draw near. "Nasasaktan talaga sila doon," laments June.
Growing up in the plains of Central Luzon, the boys didn’t see much of mountains. June’s curiosity was aroused when one day, he saw a huge log on a truck as it passed in front of his home: "Where di that come from?" he wondered.
"I remember yung lola ko ahente ng loggers. I was around six years old and where we lived, there were wood carvings that fascinated me," June says of his hometown of Talavera, Nueva Ecija where his father was an agriculturist.
June’s boyhood fascination with trees led him to take up forestry at UP Los Baños. Soon after, his interest developed into an advocacy that Esty would follow.
"I am fascinated by (trees) because it makes you see how wonderful nature is and how God created this kind of organism... they have their own mechanism to propagate," says June, a vegan who always has a can of laing in his backpack.
Esty initially wanted to study civil engineering but admiration prevailed for his "tol," as they fondly call each other. "Naimpluwensiya niya ako. I idolize him and I saw that what he was doing was something good."
A forest ecology major, Esty did a thesis on how the mahogany was found to be "invasive" because of its dominant characteristics, thus posing a danger to its environs that, June says, could kill the biodiversity of forests.
Studying the mahogany in Mt. Makiling in Los Baños, the country’s forest laboratory, his thesis showed that it had "invaded" two-thirds of the mountain, making it hard for other trees to survive. "They call it the ‘widow maker’ in forestry," June explains.
"His thesis was award winning in UPLB because it was a breakthrough in research to introduce trees native to us," says Esty’s proud brother.
The brothers, now both thirty-something, recognize that being a forester can be a dangerous job, especially when politics come into play in the problem of deforestation.
Thankfully, they claim, they have not experienced such work-related hazards, although they have encountered resistance from people suspicious of their intentions.
"As foresters, we take nature trips and one time, going to Mt. Makiling, people who had migrated there and claimed the land thought we wanted to evict them. Nagkaroon ng konting pagtatalo but this was corrected," recalls Esty.
"When I was a student, I had my practicum in Bicol. We came up with a forest patrol against illegal loggers and one man who was apprehended complained to us: ‘Ganyan naman kayo eh, ang kinukuha ninyo yung maliliit na tao’," June says. "He had a point; he had economic reasons but it’s still illegal."
The brothers sure know their trees. They can rattle off names–both scientific and common names–of trees, explain their peculiarities, and tell you how best to plant and take care of each kind of tree.
They have found their home in the Clean and Green Foundation, which is promoting the planting of endemic or native trees. The foundation is greening the Clark-Subic Expressway as a showcase of endemic trees. It has a tree nursery in Canlubang, Laguna that Esty looks after. "There we have 20,000 to 25,000 seedlings collected from various parts of the country like Romblon, Bicol and Batangas."
Sensitive native trees like the mangkono, apitong and tindalo are in dire need of protection. The mangkono is known as the hardest tree in the world, thus its nickname "iron wood." The brothers also point out that among the many varieties of eucalyptus trees, the lone one found in the country–locally known as bagras–is the most beautiful.
June notes that the Philippines is known to have "mega biodiversity" globally, but at the same time "we also belong to the seven hotspots" among forests in the world. "Before we used to have 21 million hectares of forests. These days, we only have 5.7 million." But Esty remains optimistic, especially with the two-hectare Canlubang tree nursery around: "In 10 years, you will see these trees again."
In urban greening, the brothers say that space is not the problem when it comes to a city like Metro Manila turning environmental. "Even inside buildings or compounds, you can help improve the environment and plant trees," Esty says. "Remember that when you plant trees, it improves oxygen in the air."
June’s favorite tree is the molave, and he expresses a sense of oneness with the sturdy tree. "Because it is tough and can easily adjust to an existing environment, even in devastated areas. Somehow, I see myself being that way."