Fallen tree halts traffic for hours

CEBU, Philippines - Vehicles going to and from the southern part of Cebu had to wait more than four hours in traffic while personnel of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council removed a century-old acacia tree that fell on the national highway in Barangay Tinaan, Naga City, around 8 p.m. last Friday.

The felled tree, which is about 25 to 30 feet tall, is one of 25 trees that are a century old and subject for possible removal to make way for the P123-million road widening project from the Naga City to Carcar City.

Wilson Ramos of the PDRRMC said that they immediately contacted the Department of Public Works and Highways so they can remove the tree from the national highway. It crashed into pavement just across the Apo Cemex Cement Plant in Tinaan.

In order to allow passing ambulances through, Ramos and his team immediately went to work in finding an alternative route.

They quickly cut apart the tree with chainsaws and pushed the bigger parts away with a payloader.

DPWH 2nd District Engineer Daisy Toledo told reporters that they had been waiting for approval from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to remove the trees. She said around 900 trees of different species need to be removed along the highway from Naga to Carcar as they pose risks to the public.

“Our recommendation from the very beginning is to remove all those trees within the right of way, but we couldn’t do so because the DENR is opposed to it, and the heritage group. We are still waiting for the cutting permit and I hope this will be considered by the agencies concerned. We don’t have to wait that this could happen again”, Toledo said.

She even revealed that the road-widening project, which started last December, was held for a while because of the trees.

While no one was hurt or killed during the incident the other night, Toledo urged those opposing the cutting of century-old trees in that area to reconsider their opposition.

“I hope i-consider na nila no, they should weigh safety most of all, di man gyud ta maka-compromise ana,” she added.

Many affected commuters who could no longer wait in traffic the other night opted to leave their respective vehicles to find other modes of transportation home.  — Lesley Caminade-Vestil of BANAT News