TO PAVE the way for the construction of a new Central Visayas office of the Department of Agriculture (DA), 71 trees are set to be removed from the DA’s compound in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City.
The City Council has approved the resolution sponsored by Councilor Jerry Guardo, chairman of the infrastructure committee.
Guardo said some of the trees scheduled for earth-balling belong to the fruit-bearing species.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7 had already obtained its tree-cutting permits from the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office and Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office.
The presence of the trees in the DA compound has delayed the construction of the agency’s new building, according to Guardo.
“Challenges were encountered due to existence of 71 assorted trees in the area that affect the implementation of the project since tree-cutting permit should be secured in cutting or earth-balling of these aforesaid trees,” read a portion of Guardo’s resolution.
The councilor said the DA compound is owned by the Cebu Provincial Government. Before he penned the resolution, he made sure that a permission had been secured from Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.
He said the DPWH 7 had obtained necessary documents to continue with the building’s construction and removal of the trees. The affected trees will be transferred to different parks and plazas in Cebu City.
Guardo’s office has coordinated with the Parks and Playgrounds Commission for the transfer.
Last September, Guardo also sponsored a resolution for the cutting of at least 15 trees along the banks of Tejero Creek and Lahug River to give way to the flood control projects of the DPWH 7.
Meanwhile, Councilor David Tumulak sponsored a resolution adopting the provision contained in the memorandum of agreement entered into by the administration of former Tomas Osmeña with the Department of Transportation (DoTr) wherein a greening program of the DOTr will be implemented in the city to replace the estimated 2,182 trees that will be affected by the implementation of the Bus Rapid Transit system.
Tumulak, however, withdrew his resolution during the regular session on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019. JJL