A LOCAL lawmaker in Lapu-Lapu City is urging immediate action to cut and remove dead or hazardous trees, citing fatal incidents nationwide and stressing the need for proactive measures.
Councilor Rufo Bering, in a privilege speech on Oct. 22, 2025, called for the prompt removal of dead or decaying trees that pose a serious threat to residents.
Bering, chairman of the committee on environment, urged the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) and the City Clearing Team Office to cut and remove hazardous trees along highways, schools, residential zones, and other densely populated areas.
He said the initiative, backed by a resolution he authored in July, aims to protect lives and serve as a proactive measure to prevent tragedies before they occur.
The councilor cited several cases in Mandaue City, Quezon, Masbate, and Davao Occidental where falling trees caused fatalities, often pinning and killing victims.
However, since the resolution was passed, he said he has seen no “swift and decisive action” from the concerned offices.
“All of these tragedies share one painful truth: they could have been prevented. When a tree is dead, rotten, and leaning dangerously, we do not wait for it to fall before acting,” said Bering.
“We cannot allow another child, another parent, another Oponganon to become part of tomorrow’s headlines simply because of inaction today,” he added.
In an interview, Bering said his priority stems from similar incidents, including a hollow coconut tree that had already collapsed in Barangay Canjulao, where he previously served as barangay captain.
As a proactive measure, he reiterated his call for concerned offices and barangay officials to promptly identify, assess, and remove all dead or hazardous trees within their jurisdictions.
City Clearing Team Office officer-in-charge Noli Sernio said in a message that clearing operations, including trimming and pruning, have already begun around Virgen de la Regla National Shrine in Barangay Poblacion.
He added that trees along Humay-Humay Catholic Cemetery are also being prioritized ahead of the upcoming All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day observances.
In a separate message, Cenro head Jocelyn Abayan said her office is closely coordinating with the City Clearing Team. / DPC