The Iloilo City Council has allowed the cutting of 26 trees as part of the second phase of the Jaro Plaza rehabilitation project.
The legislative body passed a Resolution of No Objection (RONO) to the cutting of trees affected by the rehabilitation works.
Councilor Ely Estante, Committee on Public Service, Environmental Protection, and Ecology chair, said the 26 trees include 16 Mahogany, seven Gmelina, two Indian Tree, and one Kalachuchi.
These trees, according to the City Council, are “invasive and destructive to the foot paths and may pose possible danger to strollers inside the park, particularly falling fruit from the mahogany trees.”
They are “not considered also as non– endemic and non–protected species, thus, their removal poses no danger to the environment.”
The Jaro Plaza is one of the city’s established tourist attractions and deemed an integral part of Iloilo City’s Historical and Cultural Heritage.
The city government is undertaking a long overdue rehabilitation and redevelopment of the plaza, which has suffered from years of abuse and neglect.
The second phase, which has a total budget of P30.4 million, is expected to be finished by the end of this year.
This include the clearing of pathways, canals and other obstructions on the side of the plaza fronting the Archbishop’s Palace, and the removal of the gym and other structures.IMT
