City officials recently authorized the Department of Public Works and Highways – Baguio City District Engineering Office (DPWH-BCDEO) to implement the pertinent provisions of DPWH Department Order No 93, series of 2014 mandating the regular pruning, trimming or cutting of trees within the road-right-of-way of national roads in the city.
Under Resolution No. 580, series of 2023, local legislators referred to the Memorandum of Engr. Nora R. delos Santos, chief of the DPWH-BCDEO maintenance division, addressed to District Engineer Rene Zarate dated January 23, 2023 which also referred to the Memorandum dated January 18, 2023 of Ismael B. Dela Cruz, assistant chief construction division of the DPWH-CAR by authority of the regional director that directed the DPWH-BCDEO to submit suggestions and recommendations to the letter dated January 13, 2023 of Vice Mayor Faustino A. Olowan reiterating Resolutions No. 363, series of 2020, 601, series of 2020 and 536, series of 2021.
For dead trees and live trees leaning towards national roads in the city, it was recommended that the request for an emergency cutting will be approved immediately for the safety of the traveling public and residents in the area.
The DPWH-BCDEO also recommended that the agency will be allowed to implement pruning of trees within its jurisdiction before the onset of the rainy season pursuant to the pertinent provisions of Department Order No. 93, series of 2014.
The council requested the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to immediately approve the emergency cutting of dead trees and live trees leaning towards national roads in the different parts of the city.
Further, the body tasked the DPWH-BCDEO to coordinate with the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO), the City Engineering Office (CEO) and the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) under the DENR in identifying the trees that will be pruned or cut.
