The city council approved the allocation of P5 million for a project that not only aim to preserve Baguio’s trees but also as a disaster mitigation measure.
The allocation will be sourced from the city’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) fund to be used for the Urban Tree Maintenance and Management Project to be implemented by the City Environment and Parks Management Office (Cepmo).
City DRRMO III Glenn Lardizabal, who was invited by the city council to explain why a DRRM fund is being tapped for tree maintenance activities, said the project falls under the programs that can be financed by the DRRM trust fund.
Lardizabal said the activities under the Cepmo project are part of disaster prevention and mitigation, which is one of the four thematic areas of DRRM. The other areas are disaster reparedness,disaster response, and rehabilitation and recovery.
The city has more than P33M DRRM trust fund, which Lardizabal said can be tapped to fund projects as long as these are aligned with the four aspects of disaster management.
The trust fund is five percent of the revenue of a local government unit pursuant to the Philippine DRRM Act.
Under the Urban Tree Maintenance and Management Project, Cepmo Head Rhenan Diwas said they will conduct trimming, pruning, and cutting of branches to prevent untoward events these may cause, such as falling on electricity lines that causes power interruption and hitting people and houses.
Diwas said fallen trees are among the top causes of accidents to people and destruction of properties, especially during typhoons.
Aside from trimming and pruning, the project also involves the conduct of surgeries for trees that can still survive for five to 10 years.
The maintenance activities will be done on trees in parks, center islands on major thoroughfares and on road-rights-of-way.
The council approved the inclusion of the project under the supplemental Annual Investment Plan and the allocation of P5M for implementation. – Jane B. Cadalig
April 19, 2024
