The Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association (PMSEA) assured the city government it will continue to perform its responsibility in maintaining the famous Norfolk trees at the foot of Session Road having adopted these trees that is one of the attractions within the central business district area.
The PMSEA adopted the 66-year old Norfolk tree over a decade ago and instituted annual trimming, power wash, among others that ensured its proper maintenance through the years.
The group planted another Norfolk tree within the area over seven years ago to compliment the existing one at the foot of the city’s major thoroughfare.
One of the activities lined up by the PMSEA in the annual conduct of the Mine Safety and Environment Conference is the regular trimming and power wash of the Norfolk trees in partnership with the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO).
Previously, the old Norfolk tree served as the city’s Christmas tree every December but the city government eventually abandoned the use of the same as a Christmas tree because of its age as it could no longer handle heavy load as per evaluation and assessment by foresters that conducted an evaluation of its state.
To date, the Norfolk trees now serve as a major attraction right at the heart of the city and is regularly trimmed and maintained by the PMSEA with the support and facilitation of the CEPMO.
PMSEA president Engr. Louie Sarmiento claimed that the group will continue to do its responsibility and obligation in maintaining the Norfolk trees as part of its corporate social responsibility being the group’s home for the annual conduct of the mine safety and environment conference that gather more than 2,000 stakeholders of the country’s minerals industry to come together and discuss issues and concerns challenging the business and the solutions and approaches to address the said challenges.
The theme of this year’s annual mine safety and environment conference is Mining 4.0: Safer, Smarter and Sustainable.
