Bolting and screwing signs on Baguio’s trees

BENCHWARMER
Ramon S. Dacawi

BAGUIO CITY -- The signs of the times are hurting, visually to us and literally to trees on which they are being nailed, bolted or strung. Such acts are in violation of an ordinance the city council passed 23 years ago.

We can talk and complain over the eyesore, but trees can’t protest, not even moan in pain. That prompted a team from the city council staff to talk for them.

The team led by local legislative staff officer Dan Ricky Ong proposed more teeth given to the ordinance through amendments that would penalize not only the person installing signs on trees but also the agency, be it private or government, that dispatched such person for the job.

The original ordinance, adopted on motion of then councilor and now vice-mayor Daniel Farinas, was amended last year through councilor ErdolfoBalajadia who moved to up the penalties from five to 20 days imprisonment or P200 to P800 fine to P5,000 fine or 30 days imprisonment or both at the discretion of the court.

Ong’s team found that even government agencies had nailed signs on trees at the Burnham Park, the city’s main picnic and recreation area. Obviously unaware of the ordinance, well-meaning students doing community work had also wired and wrapped around trees “No Littering” tarpaulin signs.

A sign with the text “No Parking BWD” was wired to a tree while a black plastic trash bag was also wired to another tree.

Bicycle-for-hire concessionaires at the main park removed their respective come-on signs and other attachments on trees, including a wall clock, after the team handed them copies of the ordinance, Ong said in a report.

“While the trees have been cleared of signages, trash bags, etc., it is suggested, however, that the City Environment (and) Parks Management Office remind the biking concessionaires to also clean their area,” the report said.

The report comes in the wake of a plea from environment officials for wannabes seeking senatorial, congressional and local positions, together with party-list representation in the May polls to spare trees of their campaign posters and to make their bids “environment-friendly”.

The report also serves as a warning to candidates who face fine and imprisonment under the ordinance, or voters’ censure that may spell their defeat in the polls, especially if they are ironically running on a pro-environment platform.