Stop the killing. Members of the Save the Trees Coalition join the City Environment and Natural Resources Office in pinning “no permit to cut” notices to trees along the Angeles City stretch of MacArthur Highway to prevent a recurrence of the “massacre” committed by the Department of Public Works and Highways in the City of San Fernando.
Photo by Ric Gonzales
ANGELES CITY – “Notice to the public: The Angeles City government has not issued permit to the cut this tree. Help protect this tree.”
Tarpaulins bearing that message were wrapped around trees along the stretch of the MacArthur Highway here yesterday to prevent the Department of Public Works and Highways from “committing another massacre of trees.”
“Never again,” vowed Cecile Yumul, spokesperson of the Save the Trees Coalition (STC), as she and other environmentalists put up the notices.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regional office earlier announced giving permit for the cutting of at least 486 trees stretching along MacArthur Highway in this city and nearby Mabalacat.
The doomed trees have been marked with a white X which the STC painted over with human figures to dramatize their symbiosis with humans.
Yumul issued the “vigilant call” to prevent the recurrence of the “massacre” in the City of San Fernando two years ago where some 200 trees along the highway were cut down.
Yumul said the STC “will do everything to stop” the cutting of full grown trees from Pulung Bulu, here to Dolores, Mabalacat City. Most of which are reportedly 50 years old.
“This time, we will guard them more and ensure not one tree will be cut,” said Yumul.
“It has been proven in San Fernando that the cutting of trees did not solve the problem and even worsen the flooding in the area,” she added.
Francis Pangilinan, officer-in-charge of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of this city, supervised the placing of posters on each tree in Pulung Bulu.
Yumul said the STC is glad that Mayors Edgardo Pamintuan of Angeles and Marino Morales of Mabalacat openly opposed the cutting of trees in their respective jurisdiction.
Yumul said the lack of approval of the two Local Government Units (LGUs) “contradicts” the cutting permits reportedly issued earlier by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr.
Pamintuan said “I will fight tooth and nail just to make sure the trees are not cut.” He added that environment protection is the one of the three priorities of his government.
Lito Reyes, former electric cooperative director and long-time ally of Morales, said he was sent by the mayor to the site to affirm his stand not to allow the cutting of trees in the component city.
The DENR-3 earlier told local mediamen that the trees in Mabalacat were supposed to be cut last November 10.
Antonio Molano, DPWH Central Luzon director, earlier said the trees should be cut because they pose danger to motorists and cause deaths in some cases.
The DENR and DPWH directors did not return answer SMS text messages for the DENR’s comments and his cellphone was off when called by this reporter.
