KIDAPAWAN CITY — The provincial board of North Cotabato has passed a resolution asking the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to procure a “tree spade machine” so centuries-old trees could be spared and relocated to other areas during road widening projects.
Authored by Provincial Board member Socrates Piñol, the resolution is urging DPWH Secretary Mark Villar “to stop cutting trees along national highways to pave way for road widening as part of the Build, Build, Build Program of the Duterte administration.”
The provincial council unanimously approved resolution No. 057-2018 on January 24.
“These (tree spade) machines are used in First World countries to save trees from extinction,” Piñol told the Philippine News Agency.
He said DPWH failed to quantify not just the monetary value of these trees but also “failed to consider that some of them are landmarks of our locality and be considered part of cultural heritage.”
Road widening projects have been ongoing along portions of the Cotabato-Davao highway that Piñol said also led to the destruction of centuries-old trees.
“Take a look at the 70-year-old Acacia tree at Flortam, Malasila, Makilala. That huge tree is a landmark of that place especially if you will be going to the Batasan Hot Spring Resort,” Piñol said during council deliberation.
“My resolution was not only voted unanimously by the 13-man North Cotabato Provincial Board but also gained emotions in the plenary,”
Piñol said.
Board member Noel Baynosa said that in Japan, highways sometimes deviated from their original plan just to protect the trees from being uprooted.
Baynosa, a licensed civil engineer, suggested that DPWH engineers should deeply consider better urban planning.
Board member Ronald Jungco, meanwhile, manifested his strong support to the resolution by suggesting additional provisions.
“DPWH should coordinate with the provincial government in case the suppose transferring of the trees from the national highways will be implemented by DPWH,” he said.
“Let’s Build, Build, Build road but don’t kill, kill, kill trees,” he said adding that there are still other remedies on how to push through with the four-lane highway project.
“Buying tree spade machines which are less than a million pesos will be a better option,” Piñol said. (Edwin Fernandez/PNA)
