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[av_heading heading=’COUNCIL FACES HARD CHOICES Save General Luna trees or let city swim in flood?’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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ILOILO City – The Sangguniang Panlungsod is in a quandary. Should it allow the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to cut down the trees growing for decades on the median strip of General Luna Street?
According to DPWH, the trees must give way to its P100-million comprehensive drainage project that aims to solve the perennial flooding downtown.
The project starts tomorrow, Dec. 8. Work is expected to be completed on Dec. 9, 2017.
Councilor R Leone Gerochi, chairperson of the city council’s committee on public services, environmental protection and ecology, confirmed that DPWH sought SP’s endorsement for the cutting of the trees.
The endorsement is need so DPWH can secure a permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Work on the drainage project actually covers four major streets – General Luna, Jalandoni, Rizal, and JM Basa. It promises to end the flooding on the streets of Fuentes, Mabini, Quezon and Valeria, among other areas in the city.
But the city council finds itself in a difficult position. In 2014, it did not allow the department to cut the trees for the widening of General Luna Street.
Gerochi also said that during a recent public hearing, DPWH admitted it can actually carry out the drainage project without cutting the trees, but the work would be more difficult and costly.
“Last time wala namon ginpasugtan so naga gwa subong daw nagbalik-awot. We have to weigh kon ano ang importante. Nabutang kita sa alang-alang,” said Gerochi.
In August 2014, it was the city council’s committee on engineering, construction and public works that turned down the request of DPWH to uproot the General Luna Street trees for a road widening project.
DPWH thus went on with the widening without touching the decade-old trees. It had planned to extract the trees and have them replaced with royal palm trees. The project involved removing about half a meter from each side of the media strip (center island) to widen General Luna into six lanes. DPWH insisted that mature trees be cut because they could eventually damage the pavement and pose danger to residents during bad weather.
Gerochi also noted that DPWH would be destroying again portions of General Luna Street that it widened just two years ago.
Since one of the most flood-prone downtown streets is Delgado Street, Gerochi suggested that DPWH better put its drainage project there.
“Pagtodo ulan wala masyado baha sa General Luna (Street). It is on Delgado (Street) nga grabe ang baha,” said Gerochi.
He also wondered how DPWH would divert floodwater from Delgado Street to the Iloilo River as outfall since General Luna Street is higher than Delgado Street.
“Wala gid kami kabalo kon ano ang drainage plan sang DPWH. So hambal ko tani pag obra niyo sang Delgado nga dalan na-incorporate niyo na ang construction sang drainage para isa na lang ka agi kag inconvenience sa pumoluyo,” Gerochi said./PN
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