By Artemio A. Dumlao
BAGUIO CITY (January 12, 2012) – Outrage of citizens and environmentalists start Friday next week with a huge demonstration against “killing” of at least 43 Alnus trees and earthballing of 97 growing Benguet Pine trees and 42 more pine saplings to go with the expansion of SM Baguio along Governor Pack road here.
Even copying US-styled “Occupy” messages to the proponent like “Cut your Corporate Greed not the trees” and hoisting “Occupy SM” mood, street protest organizers vow to swamp the area below SM Baguio and Session Road, Baguio’s main business throughfare, in what could be the biggest environmental rally the city could see of late.
This as DENR-Cordillera executive director Clarence Baguilat confirmed he gave a permit to cut and earthball the said trees on October 27, last year, ten days after Sec. Ramon Paje cleared the tree cutting application.
Such however, Baguilat said, ‘came with conditions that SM should first conduct meetings with the Baguio local government, non-government organizations and other stakeholders.’
This Monday, Mayor Mauricio Domogan who earlier brushed aside blame and instead pointed at DENR said the permit was already granted and seemingly had less effort to do with the permission.
Baguilat of the DENR added that the expansion project still needs to acquire an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) while also mandating SM to replace 30 saplings for each tree cut and damaged trees.
If such, SM would be ordered to plant some 5460 saplings, said Abner Villanueva, DENR-Cordillera spokesperson.
Accordingly, SM is still in the process of complying with the conditions set by the DENR, amidst snowballing criticisms against the “tree massacre”, yet the biggest tree cutting en masse here of late.
Karen Nobres-Padilla, SM spokesperson has said that the expansion project is not only about a parking lot. The expansion will entail a “green project” of SM in the area like building a sky garden on top.
Records show that the site for development is part of the property acquired by Shoemart through an auction sale conducted on April 22, 1992 for a bid price of P69,999,995.52 in six separate amortizations which ended in 1997 located in Residential Section “A” particularly described as Lot Nos. 3-B, 114-A, 128, 115-B, 125-A, 126-B-2, 126-A, X-1 and Y-2.
“Earlier Tree Massacres”
In April 2000, development at the former American rest and recreation facility Camp John Hay by the private firm Camp John Hay Development Corporation felled 77 pine trees in the Voice of America compound where supposed log cabins of controversial personalities including former Pres. Joseph Estrada and some of his supposed “cronies” were built.
Earning a pile of criticisms, the local DENR then also blamed the main office of the Environmental Management Bureau in Quezon City then granting such permits.
Again on May 2008, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) went defensive when a plan to clear a large part of a forested land in Camp John Hay to host the expansion of Moog Controls Philippines, an American aircrafts parts manufacturer.
Although denied by PEZA while admitting only 262 trees were cut, around 800 to 13,000 trees were feared ‘massacred’ for the expansion, prompting a Senate probe on the issue.
An on-line petition drum beaten by environmentalist Dr. Michael Bengwayan, a professor and multi-awarded environmental fellow abroad, has started to drum up support and citizen awareness on the “massacre”. “This is totally unacceptable, and callously insensitive to the importance of trees to the environment and ecology. We protest vehemently this intended act,” the petition noted.
“This only shows that DENR does not appreciate and is insensitive at all of the contributions of these trees which have already grown up in view of the global warming and environmental threats,” the petition added.
More than 2 thousand has so far included their names in the petition that started on January 8 primarily blaming the DENR.
“Saving Selves, Not The Trees”
Complaints against the “tree massacre” have reportedly reached the Office of the President specifically blaming Mayor Domogan for allegedly using his powers despite Executive Order 23 or Indefinite Log Ban issued by President Benigno Aquino III.
Though Domogan is submitting a report to Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo explaining his side on the alleged violation of the log ban.
The SM expansion plan reached Mayor Domogan last year and asked the company to include the development of a Centralized Parking Terminal for buses along Gov. Pack Road to enable the city to realize its long-time plan.
The area measures 1,500 square meters and a multi-level parking is hoped by the city government to help ease the city’s Central Business District (CBD) of parked vehicles.
Amidst the snowballing criticism on the “tree massacre”, a lawyer in the city who begged off to be named yet said, Baguio might be courting a second “Writ of Kalikasan” suit.
Mid December last year, Baguio officials were sued by Benguet officials and residents joined in by La Union local officials over the August 27 trashslide at the Irisan dumpsite that brought down hundred of tons of garbage killing at least 6, burying houses and contaminating water systems in Tuba town, Benguet.***Artemio A. Dumlao***
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