Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 29) — The regional director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said there was nothing illegal in allowing a property developer to cut down dozens of trees in Barangay Outlook Drive in Baguio City, saying a permit was issued before it happened.
The DENR said in a statement on Monday that Vista Residences Inc. met all requirements for a special private land timber permit (SPLTP), including endorsements from concerned local government units.
“The grant of SPLTP to Vista Residences was above board,” said DENR Cordillera Administrative Region Executive Director Ralph Pablo.
“The application for this permit was filed in 2018 and before that the company went through the tedious and lengthy process of getting the environmental clearance certificate, mayor’s permit and barangay certificate,” he also said.
Pablo said there were “eight conditionalities” that came with the SPLTP that must be fulfilled by the developer, including reducing to minimum the number of trees to be cut and mandatory replacement of affected trees.
Every tree cut must be replaced with 100 Benguet pine tree seedlings, making a total of 5,400 seedlings, he noted.
Pablo emphasized that during a June 25 meeting with Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, DENR officials and executives of Vista Residences, the developer committed to 10,800 seedlings — twice the number needed.
The statement said Vista Residences already turned over half the number of committed seedlings, and most of these were planted during Arbor Day celebrations on June 25.
Pablo said they were closely monitoring the tree-cutting to make sure all conditions in the SPLTP were met.
Meanwhile, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baguio City has denounced the actions of the land developers.
“The Diocese of Baguio strongly opposes and considers as unacceptable the continuing mass killing of full grown and healthy trees,” it said in a statement signed by Bishop Victor Bendico.
While aware that the developer was given a permit by the DENR, the diocese said that cutting trees to build commercial establishments “fronts and defies the Diocesan Vision-Mission on the sustenance of the environment as well as goes against the work of the late Bishop Emeritus Carlito Cenzon, who fought for the preservation of Baguio’s pine trees.
Stringer Lauren Anuma contributed to this report.
