REHABILITATING the Clifford Park in Roxas Avenue would have not resulted into chopping off the decade-old trees, a Davao City councilor said.
Councilor Pilar Braga, on Tuesday, November 5, formally lobbied the issue of allowing the cutting of trees in the center island park without proper consultation at the 19th City Council so that an appropriate action will be determined.
Braga, in her privilege speech, said she wants to find out who gave the contractors the permit of cutting down the trees in the park despite lack of proper consultation.
The councilor said that it is still unknown who gave the permit after the Department of Environment and Natural Resource (DENR) denied that it issued the permit.
She said she is not yet aware as to what is the purpose why the trees in the park are cut down.
While she does not oppose for the park’s rehabilitation, the contractor and the agency behind its rehabilitation could have used an earth-balling equipment to move the trees by digging out the earth and the roots in a circular shape, leaving most of the root system undisturbed and intact, she added.
“Let us not take our trees for granted. Kesyo kahoy lang na siya, pwede na putulon? (Just because these are mere woods, we could just easily cut them down?) No. At this time of climate change, need nato mga puno (we need these trees),” Braga said.
She added that the city could find means in transplanting trees due to the availability of equipment in the market.
While she said there is no need for the city to craft an ordinance regulating the cutting of trees as there is already a national law about it, she, however, said there is a need to monitor the law’s implementation since it is, until now, not being followed.
Meanwhile, she already referred the issue to the committee on environment and natural resources, headed by Councilor Diosdado Mahipus, Jr.
Mahipus said his committee will study possible actions to ensure that the city could regulate the cutting of trees, especially those that are considered as “heritage trees”.
He said a committee hearing will be scheduled to hear all representatives and how the city could address the matter, especially in its move to review and amend existing ordinances.
“We will conduct the necessary committee hearings. We have to observe due process, and we would like to hear the side of those affected individuals, especially those who cut the trees,” Mahipus said, adding they would also determine if the tree cutting was necessary for public safety concern.