TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Ironic as it may appear but anonymous advocates who object to the cutting of trees along the Bulanao-Dagupan provincial road for the road widening project of the provincial government, may have unwittingly nailed their ‘stop cutting our trees’ posters on unaffected trees causing further damages.
During the Kapehan meeting held at the Capitol Building today, Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer (CENRO) Imelda Casiwan calls on the anonymous group to refrain from nailing their protest posters on trees as it injure and impair the structural integrity of trees making them susceptible to infections.
She stressed that nailing trees is a violation of Section 3 of Republic Act No. 3571 which prohibits damaging of trees along public roads, parks, schools, and other public areas, with similar prohibition under Presidential Decree No. 953, which penalizes a violator of imprisonment from six months to two years, or a fine of PHP500 to PHP5,000, or both at the discretion of the court.
She requests that the individuals in charge of the nailed posters have them taken down and put in proper places.
Casiwan further stated that in accordance with the DENR’s national greening initiative, 27,000 tree seedlings (narra and melina) will be planted in strategic locations to replace the trees that were removed for the road widening.
By Ruth Cupang
