CENRO confirmed trees were illegally cut

(published at The Junction Regional Newspaper, April 1-7, 2001)

The CENRO of DENR-CAR is just awaiting for instructions from  the Office of Legal and Public Affairs for the filing of necessary charges against several Contractors of the Baguio Circumferential Road Project.

This was revealed by the documents that were transmitted by DENR Regional Executive Director (RED), Atty. Roquesa de Castro to Linis Gobyerno on March 30. Atty. de Castro has been closely monitoring the matter concerning the Baguio Circumferential Road.

It was learned that it was only on January 16, 2001 when CENRO received a request for a tree cutting permit from the DPWH. On January 22, 2001, personnel of CENRO and OCAPS together with DPWH were said to have conducted an inventory of trees that will be affected by the project. Inspected areas were Loakan Road, Kadaclan – Happy Hallow Road, and portions of Marcos Highway.

On the basis of the letter complaint of Linis  Gobyerno dated February 1, 2001 regarding the indiscriminate cutting of tree along Balacbac, Bakakeng, to Sto. Tomas Barangay, the stretch contracted to E.A. Flores Construction, RED de Castro instructed the CENR Officer to conduct an investigation immediately.

Their investigation conducted on Feb. 6-8 yielded the following results:

·         Several trees were seen to have been cut. The team noted 31 stumps of assorted trees (10 alnus, 3 Benguet Pine, and 10 miscellaneous species) with diameter ranging from 12-22 cm., along Bakakeng Ciudad Grande area, contracted by Daliones Construction.

·         3 freshly cut stumps of Benguet pine trees ranging 20-30 cm. In diameter along, Balacbac Road, contracted by Kuatako Construction.

·         Several undetermined number of assorted tree species were damaged, as evidenced by exposed and hanging primary and secondary roots, were also observed in the stretch contracted to E.A. Flores construction, and JMG construction.

Notices were given to the concerned contractors on February 13, 2001, wherein the contractors were given 7 days from receipt of the notice to explain why they should not be charged for violation of Section 68 of P.D. 705 and DAO-97-36

Linis Gobyerno, however, observed more exposed and cut trees than what was observed by CENRO.

The documents, however, do not show the exact number of trees (in the whole area). It was  lately observed by Linis Gobyerno that some trees were also cut along the Sta. Lucia Stretch.