VICE Governor Jeffrey Ferrer has expressed support for the cutting of the 300 eucalyptus trees at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City.
Ferrer said his side after the Provincial Board approved on Wednesday, March 4, a resolution of no objection (RONO) to the proposed cutting of the trees.
If in the past it was not touched now the space is needed for the development of Panaad, the vice governor said.
He added that he just wants to ensure that the cut trees will be replaced by endemic trees.
“Everytime we celebrate the Panaad sa Negros Festival, parking space is always a problem,” he pointed out.
He said that the Provincial Government do not just cut trees for no reason.
During the regular session of the Board, lawyer Rayfrando Diaz briefed board members on the offers of interested private contractors to cut the trees “free of charge.”
“The identified trees are located in areas reserved for our parking spaces. The trees were already identified and marked by the Provincial Environment Management Office with the Panaad Park Stadium Administration,” Diaz said.
He added that there is an offer from the contractor that they will shoulder the labor costs for the cutting of the trees and guarantee that it will be done by experienced cutters that will not result in the damage to provincial properties inside the facility.
Experts will be ensured that the cutting will be clean and accidents will also be avoided on the part of the provincial employees, he said.
Diaz said that the request is for RONO because it means that the provincial government will not object as owners and will not object to the cutting of the trees.
The RONO, he said is required by the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) for the issuance of the appropriate cutting permits.
The contractors are the ones to apply for the transport permits, Diaz said adding that “they will not charge the province a single centavo.
The cleaning of the areas where the trees are located will include the roots and the amount of P200,000 will be paid to the Provincial Government, he said. (TDE)