CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The Advocacy for the Development of Central Luzon (ADCL) has opposed the impending cutting of 5,446 trees in three sections of the Manila North Road (MNR), more known as the MacArthur Highway in Pampanga and Tarlac to widen and rehabilitate the road.
ADCL also renewed calls to local governments and private groups to save the trees after it received reports on Tuesday that Environment Secretary Lito Atienza has issued the Department of Public Works and Highways a permit to cut those.
“They’re cutting so many trees in this time when there’s global warming,” said Ignacio Dobles, head of ADCL environmental advocacy desk.
Atienza has issued a permit to the DPWH, a check with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources showed.
Dated April 22, the permit allowed the DPWH to earth-ball and transfer 1,282 trees that are 25-cm wide in trunks and cut at least 4,164 matured trees.
Only 257 trees will be spared along the stretches of Apalit to the City of San Fernando in Pampanga, Bamban to Capas and Tarlac City to San Manuel in Tarlac.
Tree-cutting “cannot be avoided” as the MNR is going to be expanded from two lanes to four lanes or six lanes in some portions, Atienza said in his memorandum.
A copy of the permit was transmitted to the DPWH Central Luzon director Alfredo Tolentino on May 26.
Sofio Quintana, DENR regional technical director for forestry, said Atienza has required the DPWH to put up billboards, 4 feet by 8 feet in size, to inform the public that the DENR authorized the tree-cutting and earth-balling.
The secretary also required the DPWH to replace every fallen tree with 30 seedlings, all of which will be given to the nursery of the DENR for its reforestation activities. The logs will also be turned over to DENR.
The last condition obliged the DPWH to make sure representatives of the DENR and local governments are present during the tree-cutting and earth-balling.
The permit is good only for 120 days. Quintana said that if that period has lapsed, the DPWH will have to get a new permit to proceed with its clearing activities.
According to Quintana, none of the trees belonged to endangered species. Most of these are Acacia and fruit trees, he said, citing results of a census.
Tolentino said the Pampanga and Tarlac districts of the DPWH have not yet started the clearing because the agency has “not yet produced the seedlings.”
He said the project’s P700-million budget did not include provisions for the purchase of seedlings.
“We’re still looking for funds,” Tolentino said.
A dirt road before World War II and much less in use because the Philippine National Rail tracks were still operational, the 200-km plus MNR was asphalted and concreted during the Marcos era. It starts from the rotunda of Caloocan City down to La Union province.
Tolentino said the MNR is being improved to provide an alternative route to vehicle owners wanting to save on toll fees at the North Luzon Expressway and Subic-Tarlac-Expressway.
ADCL also renewed calls to local governments and private groups to save the trees after it received reports on Tuesday that Environment Secretary Lito Atienza has issued the Department of Public Works and Highways a permit to cut those.
“They’re cutting so many trees in this time when there’s global warming,” said Ignacio Dobles, head of ADCL environmental advocacy desk.
Atienza has issued a permit to the DPWH, a check with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources showed.
Dated April 22, the permit allowed the DPWH to earth-ball and transfer 1,282 trees that are 25-cm wide in trunks and cut at least 4,164 matured trees.
Only 257 trees will be spared along the stretches of Apalit to the City of San Fernando in Pampanga, Bamban to Capas and Tarlac City to San Manuel in Tarlac.
Tree-cutting “cannot be avoided” as the MNR is going to be expanded from two lanes to four lanes or six lanes in some portions, Atienza said in his memorandum.
A copy of the permit was transmitted to the DPWH Central Luzon director Alfredo Tolentino on May 26.
Sofio Quintana, DENR regional technical director for forestry, said Atienza has required the DPWH to put up billboards, 4 feet by 8 feet in size, to inform the public that the DENR authorized the tree-cutting and earth-balling.
The secretary also required the DPWH to replace every fallen tree with 30 seedlings, all of which will be given to the nursery of the DENR for its reforestation activities. The logs will also be turned over to DENR.
The last condition obliged the DPWH to make sure representatives of the DENR and local governments are present during the tree-cutting and earth-balling.
The permit is good only for 120 days. Quintana said that if that period has lapsed, the DPWH will have to get a new permit to proceed with its clearing activities.
According to Quintana, none of the trees belonged to endangered species. Most of these are Acacia and fruit trees, he said, citing results of a census.
Tolentino said the Pampanga and Tarlac districts of the DPWH have not yet started the clearing because the agency has “not yet produced the seedlings.”
He said the project’s P700-million budget did not include provisions for the purchase of seedlings.
“We’re still looking for funds,” Tolentino said.
A dirt road before World War II and much less in use because the Philippine National Rail tracks were still operational, the 200-km plus MNR was asphalted and concreted during the Marcos era. It starts from the rotunda of Caloocan City down to La Union province.
Tolentino said the MNR is being improved to provide an alternative route to vehicle owners wanting to save on toll fees at the North Luzon Expressway and Subic-Tarlac-Expressway.
