BAGUIO CITY – The city government through the city environment and parks management office (CEPMO) will pursue its tree management and improvement program that would replace and rehabilitate trees felled and damaged by recent typhoons and manage those infected by pests.
CEPMO head Cordelia Lacsamana said this is part of the city’s efforts to protect the trees and to maintain the city’s green environs.
Lacsamana said they are currently studying what appropriate tree species will be planted in the various parks to replace those that were destroyed by typhoons. She said they will plant the seedlings during the planting season in June.
Those damaged by pests will undergo tree surgery while those severely damaged or with center rot will have to undergo sanitation cutting to avoid infecting other trees or posing danger to lives and properties.
CEPMO forester Amor Bacullo reported a total of 122 fallen trees within the road right-of-ways, parks and other government lots last year.
As to the number of sick trees, he said they are still conducting the inventory and tagging but they have listed 24 for tree surgery only within City Hall compound and Burnham Park . He said these trees measuring 20-40 cm in diameter can still be saved while the old sick ones with severe center rot will be cut and replaced.
Lacsamana said they are also pursuing programs to build the capability of CEPMO’s forestry personnel on the proper procedure for sanitation cutting, tree surgery and tree disease management.
She said they included representatives from the barangays and other sectors in the trainings to equip them with proper knowledge on the proper diagnosis and care for trees and to apply these in their own areas of jurisdiction.
The trainings are being conducted by experts from the Benguet State University (BSU) and the Environment Research Development Bureau of the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Lacsamana said the city will forge an agreement with BSU for the city to avail of continued assistance from the university particularly assistance on forestry concerns.
She said the for the past five years, the city has been conducting tree surgeries to save trees afflicted with diseases but can still be salvaged and among those saved were the paper trees at Burnham Park.
The city conducted its first seminar on tree disease management last December 15-16 following findings on the increased morbidity of pine trees in the city which reportedly was caused by tree pests like ips and dendroctunos as identified during the forum conducted by experts from the BSU and ERDB.
Mayor Mauricio Domogan approved the project proposal for the training in the hope of arresting the pests and saving the trees.
CEPMO forestry division head Beatriz Gajete said the seminar was participated in by CEPMO personnel and representatives from the barangays, schools, stakeholders and the media./A. Refuerzo
