Solon wants tree-cutting suspended along Commonwealth Avenue
By Charissa Luci-AtienzaÂ
Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Luisa Lloren Cuaresma wants to temporarily suspend the cutting, balling, and pruning of trees along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City due to the ongoing construction of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 7 System Line.
Citing data from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), she lamented that a total of 1,858 trees, including narra, molave, and ipil species which are on the endangered list, will “have to go” to make way for the MRT 7 project.
Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Luisa Lloren Cuaresma
(Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN)
“There are 1,858 trees which can be found along the 23.17-kilometer-long development stretch for MRT 7 between SM North Edsa and Quirino Highway in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan,” Cuaresma said in filing House Bill 2464.
“Of the 1,858 trees, 1,215 trees around 10 to 15 meters tall will be cut down; 623 will be earth-balled, while 20 trees will be just pruned and out of the 1,858 trees that will be displaced, 525 trees are categorized as premium species,” she said.
These include narra, molave, and ipil which are classified as endangered tree species by the DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau.
Cuaresma said Section 3 of Republic Act 3571 prohibits the cutting, destroying, or injuring of planted or growing trees, flowering plants, shrubs or plants of scenic value along public roads, in plazas, parks, school premises, or in any other public ground.
She said Section 3 of Presidential Decree 953 also punishes any person who cuts, destroys, damages, or injures, naturally growing or planted trees of any kind, flowering or ornamental plants and shrubs, or plants of scenic, aesthetic and ecological values, along public roads, in plazas, parks other than national parks, school premises or in any other public ground or place, or on banks of rivers or creeks, or along roads in land subdivisions or areas for the common use of the owners of lots or any species of vegetation or forest cover.
Under HR 2464, the lady solon is seeking the suspension of the cutting, balling and pruning of the trees “until the concerned agencies adopt measures to save the trees, especially those classified as endangered.”