DENR-CAR clarified that while it is true there are no 36 trees to be cut in the Home Sweet Home area, a tree cutting permit (Tree Cutting Permit No. DENR-CENRO-BAG-NO-05-2020) was issued in favor of the DPWH-Baguio City District Engineering Office for the cutting of 8 live trees and 2 other dead trees in the area on December 11, 2020 and were in fact already cut.
“We would like to emphasize that the tree cutting permit was issued in accordance with DENR guidelines and upon completion of requirements which includes the City Mayor’s clearance. This is contrary to the recent statement issued by the City Government quoting City Environment and Parks Management Officer Rhenan Diwas who said “Our records showed that the DPWH has no pending application for clearance with that specification so we have not issued any clearance and with that, we assume that there is no tree-cutting permit for such from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources”. The agency said in their clarificatory statement posted in their Facebook Page.
This refers to the issue of trees affected by the projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Baguio City recently threshed out by the City Government of Baguio and the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
For transparency purposes, DENR informed the public that according to the clearance issued by City Mayor Benjamin Magalong (CEPMO Control Ref. no.: 1976) dated November 10, 2020, 33 trees (10 situated at Home Sweet Home; 15 at the Baguio General Hospital; six at Camp 7; and 2 at Upper Bonifacio) were cleared and endorsed for tree-cutting.
They added that apart from the tree-cutting permit issued to the DPWH-BCDEO for the 10 trees at Home Sweet Home vicinity in Governor Pack Road, 3 other applications for tree-cutting were processed by the DENR-CAR in their favor for the cutting of trees in BGH, Camp 7 and Upper Bonifacio. The issuance of the 3 tree-cutting permits was, however, put on hold pending the compliance of some requirements and clarification regarding some violations of conditions stipulated in the tree-cutting permit previously issued (Tree Cutting Permit No. DENR-CENRO-BAG-NO-05-2020).
Earlier a news highlighted that both the DENR and the city government have threshed out the matter in a recent meeting. (Joseph Manzano, RPN DZBS Baguio OIC)
(Source: DENR-CAR)
