Mayor orders preservation of pine trees inside oval
MAYOR Mauricio Domogan ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways-Baguio City Engineering District Office to preserve the two pine trees fronting the ongoing construction of the Athletic Bowl bleachers.
Domogan instructed DPWH District Engineer Alexander Castañeda to make sure the two age old trees remain regardless of continuing improvements inside the city- owned sports facility.
“We have to make sure we will preserve the two pine trees fronting the bleachers. Forget about whether it covers some of the view of the oval, ang importante we let it stay there as long as it can,” Domogan said
during the recent City Sports Promotion and Development Council meeting.
According to Domogan, the natural resources inside the area will have to be protected as future plans of improving it to a standard sports arena are presently being pitched.
“Of course kung tatanggalin yang mga iyan marami pa ulit process na dadaanan so just let it be,” Domogan said. “Not to mention na kapag tatanggalin natin it will again be a big issue in our community and we do not want to further involve ourselves with it.”
Domogan said he already advised the DPWH to plot plans on reinforcing the base ground of the more than 70- year- old pine trees in the Summer Capital.
Meanwhile, Castañeda said their department already plotted plans on how to strengthen the base of the two trees.
According to Castañeda, they will construct a better riprap after the present contractor completes the remaining fivespan long area of the main bleachers.
“We will reconstruct the former riprap pero at least a much better one para naman kahit papaano it can really support the trees,” Castañeda said.
The ongoing phase two rehabilitation of the Athletic Bowl is expected to be completed later this November.
According to DPWH as of September the project is already 80 percent completed.
Apart from completing the oval bleachers, the sports facility is soon to be installed with rubber tracks in the running area. Mark Victor Pasagoy