Councilor Temujin “Tek” Ocampo, chairperson of the committee on environment and natural resources (CENR), expressed alarm over reports that trees are being cut in Marilog District to make way for the construction of new school building.
This is in relation to the inspection report received by his office on March 2, 2023 from the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) relative to an area assessment at Sitio Kibalang, Barangay Marilog Proper, Marilog District.
In his privilege speech during the session of the 20th City Council, Ocampo said CENRO inspected the cutting permit requested by Leo Gadong, school head of Buatan National High School in the said barangay as its presence impedes the construction of a new school building.
Ocampo also said that during his visit to the area, several large trees were already cut down.
“According to the site workers, an additional 40 to 60 trees will be cut down. The area is thickly populated with full-grown mahogany trees, some of them 11 years old,” he said.
Ocampo mentioned that based on the landslide assessment and mapping conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) in 2011, Sitio Upper Kibalang has a very high rating of landslide susceptibility.
He also said that Brgy. Marilog Proper, thru Barangay Resolution No. 50 dated October 30, 2012, recognizes that Upper Kibalang has a very high risk for landslide and soil erosion.
“Natingala man gud ko nga ang area tree planting project sa CENRO purposely for landslide mitigation based on MGB assessment kay high susceptibility sa landslide ug soil erosion and was supported by the barangay thru a resolution niadtong 2012. Pero karon ang maong lugar giputol naman hinuon mga kahoy. Worried lang mi kay basig delikado gihapon ang lugar for large structures sama sa ginaconstruct nga school,” Ocampo told Edge Davao.
Ocampo said he will tackle this matter in his committee with the committee on public works, education, and disaster of the city council.
It can be recalled that in 2021, the 19th City Council passed Ordinance No. 0784-21 series of 2021 also known as “An ordinance protecting heritage trees and all other trees in the city of Davao and for other purposes.”
“It has been three weeks since we visited the area, and the school authorities have not yet furnished us with a copy of their documents we requested which means that it is not clear whether there was prior approval for the cutting of trees. And not to forget, the presence of a school building in a landslide and soil erosion-prone area,” he said.
