Ex-DOT Sec Puyat cited/ Smoke- belching/ Maintaining trees

CITY HALL BEAT

Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY -- The city government led by Mayor Benjamin Magalong feted former Tourism Secretary and now Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat for the invaluable support she had accorded the city government in its recovery efforts at the height of the health crisis and until this time that the city is transitioning to the post-pandemic phase.
    Romulo-Puyat received the prestigious Baguio City Vision Award in a special program held in conjunction with the launching of the Baguio in my Pocket online services last Nov. 16, 2022.
    The award was "in grateful recognition of her unwavering support and assistance in promoting Baguio City as a premiere tourist destination inspite of the challenges brought by the global pandemic."
    "Her leadership is a testimony of her commitment to improve the lives of Filipino communities especially the people of Baguio City for which we are enormously grateful."
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Mayor Magalong has ordered intensification of campaign against smoke-belching in the city in compliance with its commitment to reduce pollutants in the city’s air.
    The mayor directed the City Environment and Parks Management Office under lawyer Rhenan Diwas to device more effective ways to arrest the smoke-belching problem.
    “Our goal is simple: we must ensure that our constituents have clean air and we must take the lead in our efforts to intensify environmental protection, preservation and conservation,” he stressed.
    The mayor recalled that in 2019, the city was selected as one of the pilot cities in the country for the implementation of a national project on the promotion of the low carbon urban transport system.
    A joint project of the United Nations Development Program  (UNDP) and the Department of Transportation (DOTR0, it aims to significantly reduce pollutants in the city’s air by embracing environmentally-friendly mass transport system.
    “High carbon emissions destroy the environment and we have committed to significantly reduce our Green House Gas emissions which one of our strategic programs to address this problem,” the mayor said.
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Mayor Magalong wants sustained management and maintenance of pine trees and other tree species in the city.
The mayor on Nov. 19 directed barangay officials, agency heads and business owners to conduct regular inspections of all the trees in their jurisdictions including parks and schedule the removal of climbing or clinging vines as part of tree management and maintenance.
    City Environment and Parks Management Office Asst. Head Marivic Empizo has cited the effects of climbing vines on trees:
    *Vines will cause structural damage as they grow on trees as their increased weight can potentially break branches.
    *The vines capture more wind and water than what the tree is used to and capable of supporting, leading to a potential toppling of the tree.
    *Climbing vines end up strangling or girdling a tree as it attempts to grow and expand.
    *Vines on older trees compete with its roots and robs them of moisture and nutrients.
    She said the goal is to remove the vines without damaging the tree.  She advised residents to use gloves and protective clothing in order to avoid skin reactions from the vines.