Over cutting of trees sans permit: DENR probes city government

CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas has issued a notice of administrative adjudication against the Cebu City government for cutting 389 trees in Sitio Catives, Barangay Guba without a permit.

Another notice of violation was also issued by the Central Cebu Protected Landscape (CCPL) over the development of a proposed public cemetery in the area. Dr. Eddie Llamedo, chief of DENR-7 planning and management division, said the city did not have a clearance from the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB).

Llamedo said that the DENR-7 is not against the project but environmental policies and rules and regulations must be complied with.

“Dunay 389 ka mga mahogany trees ang naapektuhan, ang naputol. Kaning pagputol wala tay tree cutting permit gikan sa DENR,” said Llamedo.

Llamedo said a formal adjudication will be conducted by the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) wherein the city government will be required to explain the cutting of the trees without the necessary permit.

“Ato lang ni i-emphasize na ang DENR wala siya nag prohibit or against sa project kay nasayod man ta na kini na project is noble intention man siya sa city government,” Llamedo said.

Considering that the proposed cemetery is located in a protected area, Llamedo said the project should be consistent with the existing land use in the area. The city government is pushing for the establishment of Cebu City Botanical Memorial Garden to accommodate the fatalities of COVID-19 and other deaths in the city.

Llamedo said that building a botanical memorial garden appears to be consistent with the existing land use in the area. However, the city government must present the development plan that would include the preventive and mitigating measures on its impact to the environment.

“Unsa manang mga preventive and mitigating measures? Unsa may ilahang mga plans kabahin sa pag-address sa solid waste management, water quality, sa air quality so kini sila makita nato kung i-present sa Cebu City Government ilahang development plan on the area,” said Llamedo.

Councilor David Tumulak, proponent of the botanical memorial garden, said that city administrator Floro Casas allegedly got the clearance from DENR to proceed with the cutting of the trees.

 “Ato na confirmar gikan mismo sa city administrator na si attorney Casas na dunay pagtugot sa pagputol sa kahoy. Iya natawagan si Mr. (Raul) Pasoc sa DENR unya nihatag kini og pagtugot sa pagputol sa mga kahoy, kining mga gagmay nga mahogany nga naa karon diha sa Sitio Catives, Garangay Guba,” said Tumulak.

Tumulak said the barangay captains of Guba and its neighboring barangays also approved of the project.

“Uyon sila na adto didto ibutang kay kahibaw man ta na maski mahuman ning COVID sa mga musunod na buwan na magkaproblema gihapon ta og menteryo sa siyudad sa Sugbo kay puno naman ang tanan na mga menteryo,” said Tumulak.

He stressed the urgency of establishing the new public cemetery since the cemeteries in the urban area can no longer accommodate new deaths.

Tumulak also clarified that the mahogany trees were planted by one of the caretakers of the lot owned by the city without permission since it was just an idle space. FPL (FREEMAN)