Massive Replanting of Trees Ensue at the Capitol

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Move out bashers, massive replanting of trees ensue now at the Capitol!

Personnel of the Guico Administration here have been buried in work planting trees at the periphery of the Capitol after 192 invasive and endemic trees have been cut off to pave the way for the constructions of an eleven-story government center, an eight-story corporate tower, and the redevelopment of the Capitol Complex.

These infrastructures are bankrolled in part by a ₱6-billion omnibus term loan facility contracted by the provincial government with the Land Bank of the Philippines in the first term of Governor Ramon V. Guico III.

Vice Governor Mark Ronald Lambino told this writer that criticism for those felled and earth balled trees have been expected since Governor Guico III assumed the leadership of the province in June 30, 2022.

“We gladly accept this criticism because it was calculated as we took consideration. This is a hard decision when you’re trying to do something good for the LGU (local government unit) under the province. We really have to make the hard decision in order to set the best results and we should be open and willing to accept this kind of criticism and let the results speak for themselves pag na kumpleto na agad”.

He cited how Super Typhoon Uwan scourged through flashflood last year the offices located at the ground floor there.

Past rampaging typhoons did not flood these areas in the past.

The Vice Governor said as part of the Capitol Redevelopment Plan, a bigger water drainage system and a new road network system have been implemented to negate future flooding.

Lambino said that it took for a while to implement the mammoth projects because they have to undergo thorough scientific studies.

“If I remember correct about a year and a half before na master plan ng mga engineers, architects, even coastal engineer kung ano po iyong appropriate na gagawin po natin dito sa probinsya. Part of the proposal of the renovation of the Capitol Complex is a change in the road network system dahil kailangan po natin lagyan ng mga drainage system iyong Capitol dahil wala pa talaga siyang massive drainage system to drain the water,” he stressed.

Lambino denied that century old trees have been cut off too to pave for the edifices and road networks. He cited the photo in 1940’s of the American era designed Capitol  was without trees surrounding it. He dismissed too that the statue of former Governor Aguedo Agbayani will be removed on its present location.

He said that in the Capitol Redevelopment Plan those aggressive invasive trees like mahogany will be replaced by endemic locally growing trees.

The cutting of those 192 trees had imprimatur from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Even those 20 hectares’ accretions at the back of the Capitol will be planted with trees, too. Originally, the Capitol occupied a 25 hectares’ land from the present 45 hectares now.

To those criticism, rants, and disinformation against the cutting of the 192 trees, Lambino has this to say:

“At ngayon nandito na tayo sa makati na stage iyong mahapdi na stage ginagawa na (natin) iyong operasyon hintayin po natin ngayon maghilom iyong operasyon matapos iyong ginagawa and we’ll let the results speak for themselves pag natapos”.

He cited those critiques raised a howl when the nationally funded reflecting pool and interactive fountain were being constructed but they are now mum after those two projects become a draw from those awed people in and out of this town.

The provincial government has been zealously into reforestation through the Green Canopy Program launched by Pangasinan Governor Guico that started in his first term. Thousands of fruit-bearing trees, native trees, and mangroves have been planted because of this program. The administration focuses its reforestation efforts on coastal areas, watersheds, and vulnerable riverbanks across various municipalities in the province.