The Davao City Council has passed the Save Heritage Trees Ordinance or the Ordinance Protecting Heritage Trees in Davao City.
The ordinance aims to protect, preserve and promote the importance of Davao City’s heritage trees located in urban areas of the city. It also highlights the economic benefits of trees and their ecological role in the improvement of air quality, reduction of floods, and habitat for other wildlife species.
Environmental group Interfacing Development Intervention for sustainability (IDIS) is hopeful that this ordinance will serve its purpose in protecting the remaining trees in the city.
“We are very happy that the Save Heritage Trees Ordinance was already approved by the City Council. More than saving heritage trees, this ordinance values the importance of trees both economically and ecologically and their role in improving air quality, reducing floods, and providing habitat for wildlife species,” Atty. Mark Peñalver, executive director of IDIS, told Edge Davao.
The ordinance went through deliberation in the City Council Committee on Environment headed by Councilor Diosdado Mahipus Jr. in February this year through the recommendation of IDIS after conducting its Citizen Science Project entitled “Save Heritage Trees: Mapping the Urban Heritage Trees in Davao City through Citizen Science”.
“This ordinance stemmed from a study conducted by IDIS last year with our citizen scientists. The efforts of everyone who participated in the study has paid off and we now have an ordinance protecting not only our heritage trees but all other trees in Davao City. We hope that through this ordinance, our remaining trees in the urban area will be protected.,” Peñalver said.
One of the objectives of the study is to collect data on the existing heritage trees in the city and utilize it for lobbying for a policy that will ensure its protection.
The study received 288 submissions and 260 geotagged trees from citizen science volunteers in Davao City.
In a statement, IDIS said earlier this year, the group forwarded the result of the study and participated in drafting the ordinance about the protection and conservation of the remaining heritage and all other trees in the city.
IDIS said its citizen science volunteers, and the political will of its green champions, Councilors Diosdado Mahipus, Jr. and Pilar Braga, the Ordinance Protecting Heritage Trees, and all other Trees in the City of Davao was approved.
“In addition, our citizen scientists, who have been very helpful in the data collection was recognized and appreciated by Councilor Pilar Braga during her privilege speech in the City Council,” the statement read.
IDIS came up with the proposal when the Davao City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) announced the “rehabilitation and replacement” of dead trees on the entire center islands from the corner of St. John Paul II College to corner of Ecowest Drive wherein a total of 16 Acacia trees will be “removed and replaced”.
The removal was expected to reduce the traffic congestion and improve the drainage system as the city government plans to develop the said area.
