Finally, the Iloilo City government is looking into the welfare of the long unattended plants and center aisles along the city roads. Every day, employees assigned to tend these sections are visibly busy clearing the weeds and adding more soil on the boxes.

These plants may have been mere additional items in the contracts of the road contractors then but their presence provides more than aesthetics for the eyes to appreciate. These green creatures are actually the life of the road.

Its just unfortunate that people are really unappreciative of the purpose of these plants. Some would just cross the road away from the designated pedestrian lanes stepping along the way on the tiny plants while others would uproot the trees for the sake of fun.

The city mayor has initiated a more drastic course of action by hiring “green guards” just to protect the plants and even became bolder by declaring that he will regularize the guard who catches an offender.

We can appreciate the irritation of the mayor after all millions were already spent from the acquisition of these plants up to the salaries of those who were tasked to maintain them.

However, tending to these plants and trees is not a criminal matter. It is about devising creative and sustainable ways in order to nurture and protect them. The first problem is with the leaders themselves from the city chief executive down to the barangay officials. Of course this is not to say that these problems are a creation of the current administration but we also have to admit the fact that this is just the first and only time that the current city chief executive has shown passion in protecting the plants.

In the past, as summer time approaches, watering of the plants is done for compliance purposes only without regard to the roots and the soil that will be drained from the water hose coming from a moving small water tanker of the personnel tasked to do the job. 

They actually never cared to check the plants inside the boxes. The barangay officials must do their share at the same time. If by the limitations set forth by law prior to the turnover of the road by the contractor to the government, they are not allowed to touch the plants, providing ample protection so that people will not step on them or destroy them should have been done before and especially now.

Plants and trees have lives. Thus, the approach in taking care of them should not be seasonal or depending on the mood of the leaders. They need to be taken cared of on a daily basis.

Of course the local leaders cannot do this alone. This is the best time to call on the civic groups and organizations and the general population at large to do their share. Only then that those vandals and undisciplined individuals will little by little realize their own mistakes.

As to the offenders, a year-long community service will help them realize their offense better. Jail time is not an answer after all. If the city legislators can pass a more comprehensive approach in dealing with them, the city mayor will not be wasting resources for unnecessary motivations only for the purpose of apprehending these people.

These plants are not just ornamentals that will please the eyes of the passersby but are also living testimonies of who we are as Ilonggos.