Two Ramons’ New Year’s resolutions

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO
March L. Fianza

The Ramons I know are both engaged in environmental protection. I do know how the one Ramon is dedicated to what he does in as far as trees are concerned, but for the other Ramon – I am not so sure.

Four years ago, the Ramon that I first knew had a New Year’s resolution to stop his association with wine and liquor which he sustained through the following New Years. He later stopped smoking.

By the way, even while being diabetic, he had a stent or tube “painlessly” inserted in one of his arteries around his heart. Friends who visited him at his bed in St. Paul told me he is back to his usual self with the normal smile accompanied by his extemporaneous jokes.

Let us say that the smile stays for as long as he is not shown his hospital bills.

While he went on fulfilling his New Year’s resolution year after year, he also continued working for the protection of the environment in his own capacity, not like the line government agency employee who works for the environment 8 to 5 because that is what is required in his job description and earns a monthly salary by doing so.

Ramon, the “sweet” guy with the “big” heart has been able to sustain his Eco-Walk project, having coordinated hundreds of tree-planting activities for several organizations.

Ironically, instead of harvesting trees that it planted, the Eco-Walk project reaped awards and citations from organizations here and abroad.

I am certain that when Mondax gets out of his hospital bed, the first thing that he will think about is how the trees at Busol are doing. I am sure that when Mondax gets up, he will again lead people to Busol. Mapanisuagmulati Pine Tree because that is one of the best things he wants to do.

Two years ago, GSIS agreed to allow the SM giant to build over a mini forest that the former owned beside the Baguio Convention Center.

While this was being opposed by the concerted effort of the media, concerned Baguio residents and some public officials; Mondax convinced colleagues in the media to plant more trees inside the GSIS lot.

The other Ramon that we recently knew had a New Year’s resolution that was different from Mondax’s. This Ramon who heads the country’s environment agency is the opposite of Mondax.

Last December, I saw him on TV talk about the floods that hit Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. In his interview, he pointed to both legal and illegal logging as the culprits.

He said, the “Total Log Ban” declared by PNoy through Executive Order 23 in January 2010 should be applicable all over the country since it is a national law.

He was referring to the manner by which EO23 was wrongly interpreted and therefore unimplemented by officials of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.

They said that since they were “autonomous,” they were in control of their natural resources. That is why they issued their own tree-cutting permits.

Mr. Ramon Paje of the DENR is correct in saying that the total log ban should be implemented nationwide because it is a national law. He could have also known of the logging permits issued in the ARMM, but how come he did not run after the ARMM permitees?

If the Sendong flooding in CDO and Iligan did not happen, maybe he could not have come out on TV to say what he had said about the nationwide implementation of EO23.

If the Sendong disaster did not happen, maybe Ramon of the DENR could not have acted to stop both legal and illegal logging in the ARMM even while he knew that EO23 had to be implemented nationwide.

Ramon of the DENR is the opposite of Mondax. He implements his laws selectively.
On October 27 last year, contrary to the total log ban, the DENR again granted a tree-cutting and balling permit to SM giant upon his instructions.
Of course, the prime “protector” of the environment cited its own interpretation of the law to suit the permit that it issued.

With the permit, SM is set to sentence to death more than 180 trees by cutting more than 40 fully grown Alnus trees and uproot for balling more than 90 growing Pine Trees and more than 40 saplings that are growing within the Luneta Hill to give way for its expansion.

That is what I am saying about the two Ramons’ sincerity and dedication to implementing environment protection. The difference is glaring that Mondax is sincere in protection while the other Ramon is coldheartedly insensitive to the value of trees.

By issuing the tree-cutting permit, Mr. Ramon Paje displayed an act favoring a private business entity and has brought upon DENR the question from people why it allows the killing of trees instead of protecting them. Was this in exchange of money or other favors?

And why are our city officials abnormally silent on this? Did they also receive anything in exchange for zipping their mouths?

For SM representatives who have tried to defend their plan by saying that they went through due process in obtaining a permit, they are like their boss who prefers to work for greed at the expense of the green environment.

After a public protest rally last Friday, I wish to see us continue the fight to stop the “partnership” of Ramon and Henry, both of whom are about to sacrifice Baguio’s environment in favor of personal profit and money.

As we were saying, the two Ramons have opposite New Year’s resolutions. If only Mondax was strong enough to be with us today, I am sure he would be off to embark on what to do against the tree-cutting at the Luneta Hill.

The other Ramon with the DENR would only wish that his tree-cutting orders are implemented, no matter if PNoy’s total log ban was violated. “Daang matuwid” your ass. – marchfianza777@yahoo.com