A FACEBOOK post of an environment activist has gained traction on social media after it pointed out an ongoing earth-balling of 934 mangrove trees in Dumanjug, Cebu to pave the way for a road widening and flood mitigation project.
Lawyer and environment activist Gloria Estenzo Ramos posted at 8:49 a.m. Friday, May 31, 2019 photos of the earth-balling of the mangroves. Earth-balling is the process of moving a tree by digging out the earth and the roots in a circular shape, leaving most of the root system undisturbed and intact.
Ramos, vice president of Oceana Philippines, an international ocean conservation and advocacy organization, in her post, questioned the decision of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to grant the Cebu 4th District Engineering Office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Brgy. Poblacion, Dalaguete, the permit to earth-ball 934 mangrove trees in Brgy. Tapon, Dumanjug, Cebu.
“How can DENR issue an earth-balling permit for mangroves? I could not believe what I saw! ONLY IN THE PHILIPPINES!!!! and for flood mitigation daw—di ba (don’t) mangroves provide the best buffer against storms that humans could not even hope to replicate?” her post read.
She then called for an “investigation and accountability for those conspiring to destroy the mangroves in Dumanjug,” which, according to her is part of the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape and covered by the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act.
The post also showed a photo of the billboard of the DENR-Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) of Argao, Cebu issued earth-ball permit for 418 bungalon, 26 pagatpat and 490 bakawan (mangrove) trees released to the DPWH on Feb. 11, 2019.
Anecito Aquino, head of the Cenro-Argao, told SunStar Cebu that the contractor of the DPWH complied with the requirements set for the issuance of the earth-balling permit; thus they had no choice but to issue such.
“All the documents, all the requirements were satisfied by the office (DPWH) before the DENR issued the permit. In fact, before the issuance of that permit, there was a clearance or endorsement from the different concerned barangays and municipalities. So, we had no choice but to issue the permit,” he said.
According to him, the project undertaken by the DPWH is for road widening, and the construction and maintenance of flood mitigation structures and construction of the Brgy. Tangil-Tapon seawall, under President Rodrigo Duterte’s Build Build Build Program.
“The purpose of the DPWH is to widen (the road) for the safety of the motorists,” he said.
In the guidelines issued by the DENR in the processing and issuance of permits on the removal and relocation of trees affected by DPWH projects, the DPWH must submit (a) an appropriate infrastructure plan with tree charting, (b) appropriate environmental clearance, (c) endorsement from the concerned local government units, and (d) appropriate Land Tenure Instruments (LTI) for tree cutting within forest lands.
“Before the implementation of the project, there was an engineering study, I am sure, on the (road) widening. There’s an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) issued by the department. At the same time, there was a consultation to prune,” Aquino added.
However, Ramos, in her post, questioned the need to remove the mangroves for flood mitigation when she called mangroves the best buffer against storms.
Aquino said that with the DPWH and DENR as coordinating agencies, it is unavoidable sometimes that there are a few sacrifices for national developments.
“Ang nakabutang didto is for the national interest man ang project. In any development, there will be some sacrifices,” he said. [What was written there (in the billboard) is the project is for the national interest.]
He then explained that one of the conditions for the issuance of the permit was to have mitigating measures for possible flooding, to transfer the mangroves near the vicinity of Tapon and to replace any damaged mangrove in the ratio of 1 is to 5, within six months after the earth-balling.
“We will make sure that they will follow this,” he said.
Tapon Barangay Captain and Dumanjug Association of Barangay Captains President Vicente Fernandez said although he is not totally in control of the undertakings in his barangay, he sees the project as beneficial to the people.
“No, they did not seek our consent for that. We don’t have coastal waters. What they do is go to the municipality because it is the municipality that has the coastal waters. They will ask for the permit there,” he said in Cebuano.
“But then kung tagaan ka’g permit, the earthball ibutang sa pikas, kay mi issue man ang DENR nga mas knowledgeable kay nato, mas maayo siguro nang planuha,” he added. (But then if you were given a permit, the earth-balled trees will be placed in another area. Since the DENR issued it and they’re more knowledgeable than we are, then I guess that’s a better plan.)
Fernandez is also a member of the board of directors of the Tañon Strait Protected Area Management group.
SunStar Cebu had yet to get the side of the Cebu 4th District Engineering Office of the DPWH as of this writing.
Ramos’s post already generated 162 reactions, 20 comments and 153 shares as of 9:51 p.m. (WBS)