By:
Sheila Covarrubias
ZAMBOANGA
CITY,
June 26 (PIA)- - City dad Mayor Celso Lobregat yesterday led the city government
officials in the tagging of century and heritage trees located mostly at the
R.T. Lim Boulevard area in celebration of Arbor Day na Ciudad de Zamboanga.
The
tagging of trees is based on Ordinance 341 which declares trees that are more
than 100years old as century trees and those that are considered ecologically,
historically or culturally valuable or belonging to a rare specie or are
adjacent or near a water source, spring or well and whose cutting or
destruction will disrupt or destroy the water source as heritage trees.
Special
programs with matching drum and lyre and honor guards were organized by the
Zamboanga City State Polytechnic College led by Dr. Nora Ponce and the Brent
Hospital and Colleges Inc. administration Dr. Raymond Sator ushering in the
tagging of the century and heritage trees with metal plates.
Mayor
Lobregat said Ordinance 341 prohibits subjecting such trees to “any cutting or any form of
destruction, except for medical, public emergency, public safety and botanical
reasons.”
Assisting the mayor in tagging the trees were
department heads— City Environment and Natural Resources Officer Engr. Rey
Gonzales, City Planning and Development Coordinator Engr. Rodrigo Sicat and
City Assessor and Ponce and Sator.
The
city government this year has declared 16 trees for preservation—8 acacia trees
declared as century trees and 8 others various types of trees declared as
heritage trees. Of the total 16 trees—6 are located at the ZCSPC, 3 at the
vicinity of the Brent Hospital and Colleges, Inc.; 3 inside the Ateneo de Zamboanga University
campus; one at vicinity of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources; 1 at
the 9th Maritime Mobile Group Station and 2 at the San Ramon Prison
and Penal Farm area.
Mayor
Lobregat stressed that environmental protection does not only call for the
planting of new trees but also entails the preservation and protection of all
trees.
From
2009 to 2011, the city government has declared as preserved a total of 82
trees—46 of which are century trees and 36 are heritage trees. (JPA/SC/CIO/PIA9-ZBST)