Baguio City Scandal – Cutting of Giant Trees
by Aileen Refuerzo
BAGUIO CITY, Jan. 22 (PIA) — Mayor Mauricio Domogan Wednesday bared plans to broker a dialogue on the SM Baguio tree-cutting issue which continued to heat up amid snowballing opposition that started in a popular social networking site and which spread on the streets with a mass rally staged by environmental groups last Friday.
In his Ugnayang Panlungsod press briefing, the mayor said the city will schedule a public consultation to give opportunity to both sides to come face-to-face to air their sentiments and clarify issues on SM’s expansion project that will entail the clearing of trees at its newly acquired property adjacent to the mall’s present site in Luneta Hill.
“Hopefully during the hearing, SM will listen to the sentiments of those opposing the project and the opposition will likewise take into consideration SM’s viewpoint,” the mayor said.
He said Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) representatives will also be invited to also explain its issuance of the permit “to cut, ball or prune” a total of 182 trees within the planned expansion site of the mall.
The mayor clarified that it was the DENR that issued the said permit along with the Environmental Clearance Certification (ECC) for the expansion project.