Cebu City - The city council in Cebu City has initiated an investigation into the demise of more than 200 earth-balled trees, which were affected by the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project alignment.
According to a new release by the Philippines News Agency, Councilor Joel Garganera, chair of the Cebu City Council's Committee on Environment, revealed that the city government had hired a cooperative to perform earth-balling on 228 trees along the BRT routes last year. However, it appears that the hired contractor lacked the necessary technology and expertise for proper earth-balling.
Earth-balling is a technique used to transfer a tree from one location to another by excavating the soil and roots in a circular shape while preserving most of the root system. This process requires specific skills to ensure the tree can continue to thrive after transplantation.
In response to the situation, the Cebu City Council has passed a resolution instructing the Cebu City Legal Office to conduct an investigation to determine responsibility for the loss of Indian and Balete trees. The investigation will also review the coordination and allocation of funds with the BRT management for tree propagation along the BRT route.
City council member Nestor Archival emphasized that the investigation should explore the potential accountability of personnel from Cebu City's Environment and Natural Resources Office and Agriculture Office, who were responsible for overseeing the earth-balling activity. Despite the requirement of a PHP10,000 bond for each earth-balled tree, this regulation was not enforced.
In a related development, the city government has broken ground for a new wildlife resource protection facility and an eco-park in the closed Cebu Zoo. Mayor Michael Rama described the facility as a mini-forest for endemic trees and a sanctuary for local wildlife and endemic birds. He emphasized the importance of shared responsibility and commitment to sustainable development in this endeavor.