BACOLOD City – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Bacolod City Engineering District recently planted a total of 2,500 saplings of endemic species in Barangay Bagong Silang, Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental as replacement for the 25 trees that had been felled in this city.
To note, the DPWH has an ongoing P32-million sidewalk “improvement project” along Araneta Avenue from the Bacolod City Public Plaza going to the Old Airport in Barangay Singcang here.
The 25 trees they felled, according to DPWH District Engineer Jaime Javellana, have been hampering the project’s implementation.
The DPWH’s cutting of the airport trees was criticized by environment advocates.
Why plant it in Don Salvador Benedicto?
This city has no more public lands available for tree planting, said Councilor Carlos Jose Lopez, chairman of the committee on environment and ecology.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources required them to plant on a public land with provision of four by five square meter distance per tree which entails five hectares of land.
Bacolod has a five-hectare vacant lot, though, but it is already scheduled to be planted, Lopez said./PN
