BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
ILOILO City – “My question is simple: Punong kahoy (trees) o development? Ganyan lang po ang maging direction natin.”
That’s Regional Director Edilberto Tayao of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) asking the public to choose which is more important to them – the widening of General Luna Street here or the trees that have long been growing on the central islands of one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares.
The road widening has stalled because the trees have yet to be removed. Environmentalists oppose the trees’ removal.
Tayao said the budget for the road widening risks being realigned to other projects.
The widening of General Luna Street is just part of a longer project that stretches up to the boundary of Iloilo City and the town of Oton, Iloilo – in Brgy. Mohon, Arevalo district.
Tayao said the project has a P260-million budget.
“Ang problema kung hindi tayo magkakaroon ng final stand. We may have no other recourse but to recommend the transfer of the fund to other equally important projects,” Tayao said on Reklamo Publiko program yesterday.
Iloilo City District Engineering Office (ICDEO) head Engr. Rodney Gustilo confirmed that the Sangguniang Panlungsod has yet to officially give its permission for the removal of the trees more than a month after his office made such request.
Gustilo said a written permission from the City Council is required before the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region 6 grants the ICDEO a permit to extract the trees.
“My question is simple: Punong kahoy o development? Ganyan lang po ang maging direction natin,” said Tayao.
He cited as examples the roads leading to the domestic airport in Manila and the Osmeña Boulevard in Cebu City. The local governments of these areas prioritized development, thus they widened these roads and removed the trees, he said.
Once the General Luna Street trees are removed, Tayao said, they will be replaced with Royal Palms whose trunks are not as bulky as the trees currently occupying a considerable portion of the street.
Tayao had a meeting with city councilors last month and answered their concerns about the trees. He said he was assured that the road widening can proceed.
To avoid delays, Tayao and Gustilo said, the project contractor has continued with the road widening but is careful not to – for the time being – touch the trees.
The contractor would have already substantially completed the widening when the City Council finally issues its written consent on the trees’ removal, the two stressed.
The widening of General Luna street has an initial fund of P18 million. From two lanes (both sides), it will be upgraded to three lanes, sacrificing about one meter of the center island (where the trees are standing) and .5 meter to one meter of the sidewalk.
Councilor Joshua Alim has questioned the planned extraction of the trees.
“First time ko nakakita nga sa tunga madugang road space,” Alim said. “Kag kun mabuhin sila kahoy kag islan man gihapon sang kahoy, paano sila kadugang road space?”
Alim said the trees, which have been growing on General Luna Street for over half a century, are now part of Iloilo City’s heritage.
In a previous interview, Tayao said the “best option” was to continue with the road widening.
The regional director explained why it is advisable to replace the trees on General Luna Street.
“There are trees whose roots will grow big enough and possibly damage the pavement,” he said./PN
