■ PUBLIC CAN ADOPT TREES THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY BRT PROJECT: CEBU CITY GOV'T

The Cebu City Government, through the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO), initiated an Adopt-A-Tree program to save the trees that will be removed from the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route. Nida Cabrera, CCENRO consultant, said the project aims to provide the trees with proper care and regular monitoring. As of yesterday, seven individuals expressed their intent to adopt a tree. The program is open to everyone with accomplished requirements and an agreement with CCENRO. The environment office identified 30 trees that are open for adoption, which are mostly fruit-bearing trees like jackfruit, chicos, guava, tamarind and mansanitas. The implementation of the BRT will affect more than 2,000 trees in 21 barangays.

Some of the trees that will be affected by the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project are up for “adoption” by anyone willing to take care of them.

The Cebu City Government, through the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), initiated an Adopt-A-Tree program to save the trees that will be removed from the BRT route.

Nida Cabrera, consultant of CENRO, said the project aims to provide the trees with proper care and regular monitoring by individuals who will be interested in adopting them.

“We have identified the trees that are fit for adoption. So we will do our best to keep these trees alive,” Cabrera said.

Individuals who are interested in adopting the trees are required to present to CENRO a proposed area with a suitable environment.

As of yesterday, seven individuals expressed their intent to adopt a tree. The program is open to everyone who can comply with the requirements.

CENRO identified 30 trees that are open for adoption. They are mostly fruit-bearing trees like jackfruit, chicos, guava, tamarind and mansanitas.

The Adopt-A-Tree Program is part of the City’s efforts to address the concern on the more than 2,000 trees in 21 barangays that stand to be affected by the BRT project, which is scheduled to start before the year ends.

Meanwhile, the remaining trees that are subject for removal will be transferred to other sites in the city that will be identified by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Among the priorities are 665 Narra trees, which are included in the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

They belong to the vulnerable category and are considered threatened species. /