Investing in green space
MAKE trees “part of urban development instead of a victim to it.” Felino Palafox Jr. gave this advice to stakeholders during a July 3, 2014 public consultation to decide the fate of trees affected by road projects.
According to Rappler, the urban planner and architect argued for a green agenda in urban development before an audience composed of environmentalists and officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Palafox said these alternative urban designs balance the public’s welfare, the preservation of trees, and compliance with government standards for safety.
Tree sacrifice
The need for ecology- friendly modernization should guide constituents of the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu, who will decide the fate of trees affected by the construction of new buildings housing classrooms.
Sun. Star Cebu’s Justin K. Vestil reported last Oct. 15 that the UP Cebu Student Council (SC) demanded that the administration consults environmental planners to come up with an alternative scheme that will not cut the trees.
This includes considering other UP Cebu properties for the construction of the buildings.
SC chairperson Justine Balane also asked the UP administration to check the integrity of existing buildings possibly damaged by the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that hit Cebu and Bohol in 2013. Some of these buildings were used as classrooms.
During an Oct. 14 public forum, the UP Cebu administration said that the cutting of some trees in the Lahug campus is necessary for the education of the students and the safety of all constituents.
Urban centerpieces
The UP Cebu dilemma is the latest to pit environmentalists against modernization proponents. Some of these projects threatened tree stands in Carcar City and those growing in the center island of Pope John Paul II Ave. (formerly Juan Luna/San Jose dela Montaña Ave.) in Barangay Mabolo.
As in the UP Cebu case, the removal of trees in these developments is rationalized as expedient for the solution of urban woes like traffic or the promotion of public welfare.
The environmentalists’ stance is frequently criticized for obstructing modernization. This should prompt Cebuanos to reflect and discern which of the approaches—to cut or to save the trees—actually consider the over-all development of Cebu, particularly its sustainability and livability.
In his 2014 presentation to environmentalists and modernization proponents, Palafox cited how trees and greenery are considered “centerpieces for cities” in “progressive” countries like Singapore, Dubai, Japan and Warsaw, reported Rappler.
Palafox pointed out how Dubai borrowed money to invest in green infrastruc-ture and import trees. Singapore also imports acacia trees from the Philippines to line roads and act as green buffers.
According to Rappler, Palafox enumerated the value of keeping trees as centerpieces of urban space: lowering the temperature raised in concrete jungles, filtering air pollution, and preventing or mitigating flooding.
Trees turn the UP Cebu campus into an academic oasis, conducive for learning, reflection, creative work and mental wellness, said Ma. Theresa Angelina Q. Tabada, who studied in the 1980s and now teaches at the college. She said that the campus lack of student lounges is alleviated by benches and gazebos situated under the trees that become venues for students to unwind and discuss.
Constituents of UP Cebu, like other residents of Cebu City, must continue the dialogue to plan for progress that incorporates, rather than marginalizes and eliminates, trees for a sustainable future.