Editorial: Greening Davao City

AFTER controversies surrounding the cutting of trees around Davao City in the previous years, it is good to know that the City Council is making progress when it comes to creating policies for the "greening" of the city.

Last week, the City Council passed the Treeline Ordinance, which seeks to integrate urban canopy in the city's traffic islands on highway roads and along pavements, parks, playgrounds, and areas of public right-of-way.

In a SunStar Davao report on March 29, Councilor Edgar Ibuyan Jr., committee chairperson on public works and highways, said the landmark ordinance encourages both government agencies and private contractors to integrate urban canopy with an aim to add more trees in the city's main road to add more shade to pedestrians and motorists. The ordinance also targets planting more trees in parks and playgrounds and highways.

"Mainly, we are encouraging everyone, especially the government agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and City Engineer's Office (CEO), na when times nga naa projects sa kalsada (that there will be road projects), we must integrate trees to lessen the heat index o ginabati nga init samtang gasubay sa atong kadalanan (or the heat we feel while traversing our roads)," the councilor said in an interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), trees and other vegetation can lower "surface and air temperatures by providing shade." It added that shaded surfaces, for example, may be 11°C to 25°C cooler than the peak temperatures of unshaded materials.

Aside from cooling the city, the addition of trees can also improve how we live in the city. People will opt to walk more because of how shady some areas are.

While it may not be easy to add trees to the central business district of Davao City, the new ordinance allows the city and its urban planners from developing other areas to be greener and cooler.

If implemented properly, the city will be able to balance progress and the environment.

The Treeline Ordinance is the second environmental landmark ordinance passed by the city council under Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte. When he took office in 2019, the vice mayor has stated that environmental policies will be among the priorities of the city council.

The other environmental policy the city council passed was the Single-Use Plastics Ordinance of 2021. It was passed on March 2, 2021, and was authored by Councilor Diosdado Mahipus Jr., committee on environment chairperson. Mahipus and his committee are also working on an ordinance for the protection of heritage trees in the city.

As the city grows, environmental policies play an important role in ensuring that the development of the city is sustainable. However, we also hope that these ordinances will be implemented effectively and not simply stay as "landmark ordinances."