Calendared for second reading

SP Bohol puts up ordinance

protecting century-old trees

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol June 3 (PIA)—Legislating on to provide a deeply rooted anchor its Awit sa Bohol, the Sangguninag Panlalawigan (SP) is now poised to preserve century-old and heritage trees in Bohol.

Although still on its first reading, the proposed ordinance intends to keep Bohol’s environment and enhance its ecological balance and natural ecosystem that it has to impose penalties for acts that tend to endanger the environment and other activities that are harmful to the environment.

Asserting Section 468 of Republic Act No. 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991, the SP, as the legislative body of the province, reminds that it can approve ordinances and pass resolutions that protect the environment and impose appropriate penalties for acts which endanger the environment, especially from activities that result in pollution or ecological imbalance.

Moreover, the same law also empowers the local legislators to adopt measures and safeguards against pollution and for the preservation of the natural ecosystem in the province.

However, without a clear law that defines the manner in which century-old trees or heritage trees can be preserved especially when these are located in private lots, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources have their hands tied, especially when the owners themselves decide what to do with these environmental shields.

According to the SP sattement, the author of the Ordinance, iterated that the aging tree population like the century and heritage trees advocates for a statutory approach for assured protection and conservation.

Century Trees and Heritage Trees are considered ecologically, historically, and culturally valuable to the province.

These values help the community understand the importance of conservation and environmental protection since such trees are viewed as symbols of resilience and strength, that further protection and preservation is needed to protecte the remaining trees.

For the proposed ordinance, a committee composed of the Bohol Provincial Environment and Management Office shall take the lead on the identification and declaration of the trees, and they are tasked to maintain a regular updating by physical inspections of the entries in the Database of Century and Heritage Trees as an up-dated list of trees alive and dead around the province.

The proposed ordinance also includes a tree celebration activity aside from the annual province-wide tree planting activity every Arbor Day.

Already approved for second reading, Boholanos who may have a wish to say as additional input in aid of legislation could come to the SP and participate in the committee deliberations, considering that, while all trees help as earth’s thermostats, some trees that have been introduced to Bohol in the past years have proven to be invasive and are systematically taking over the landscape. (PIABohol)