THE personnel of the City General Services Office (CGSO) on Friday, May 5, 2023, felled down an acacia tree, declared a heritage tree in 2010 because of the danger it poses to commuters and vehicles here.
Engineer Rene Dela Cruz, CGSO chief, said the heritage tree that was cut down is located outside the compound of Camp General Eduardo Batalla along RT Lim Boulevard in Barangay Zone 1, Zamboanga City.
Dela Cruz said the cutting down of the heritage tree is pursuant to Executive Order JD 2023-037 issued by Mayor John Dalipe directing the delisting of Tree Registry No. HT-0011-CL from the list of Heritage and Century Trees in the city as well as its immediate cutting.
Dalipe issued the order following the recommendations of the Special Technical Committee (STC), which conducted a joint inspection, assessment and evaluation of heritage and century trees in the city.
The STC is composed of representatives from the Office of the City Agriculturists, Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources (OCENR) as well as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Dela Cruz said the joint inspection was in reply to City Council Resolution No. 290 dated February 13, 2023, requesting the CGSO and the OCENR to conduct clearing operations to trim branches of trees that pose danger to pedestrians and motorists in Zamboanga City.
There are some 150 trees of different species that have been declared as heritage and century trees in this city since 2008 pursuant to City Ordinance No. 341.
City Ordinance No. 341, otherwise known as the Century and Heritage Tree Ordinance of 2008, states that century trees are those that have lived for more than 100 years while heritage trees are those which may not have reached 100 years "but are considered ecologically, historically or culturally valuable or belonging to a rare specie or are adjacent or near a water source, spring or well and whose cutting or destruction will disrupt or destroy the water source."
The ordinance stated that all trees declared as "Century and Heritage Trees" shall not be subjected to any cutting or any form of destruction, except for medical, public emergency, public safety and botanical reasons and shall be preserved and maintained in their natural state.
The prohibition shall apply to all plants and animals that live within or are dependent on said trees for their survival, including mammals, birds, reptiles or ferns.
The same ordinance mandates the "conduct of yearly review and inspection to maintain said trees, and update newly discovered "Century and Heritage Trees." (SunStar Zamboanga)