After the May 9 polls, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is set to carry out “search-and-rescue” operations and inventory on injured trees cleared of campaign materials in a bid to prevent infection and even their death.
“The move is especially important as injured trees, if left unattended, are susceptible to infection and may not be able to grow properly with structural defects that make them prone to fail and fall over during typhoons,” agency chief Jim Sampulna said.
Undersecretary for Field Operations-Luzon, Visayas, and Environment Juan Miguel Cuna issued a memorandum to all regional executive directors to “conduct an inventory of trees damaged due to the election campaign and conduct possible treatments appropriate to the conditions.”
As of April, some 114,664 pieces of campaign materials and other paraphernalia were taken down in DENR’s Oplan Baklas among DENR, the Commission on Elections, and the Department of Interior and Local Government outside of common poster areas designated by the Comelec.
Trees in urban areas must be prioritized, Sampulna said, noting that “trees in our urban areas have been decreasing through the years despite the countless benefits they give to improve the quality of life in cities, especially now that climate change is upon us.”
He raised concern about how the trees had been cleared of the nailed campaign posters, saying nails still left in trees could cause long-term damage to trees, especially the young ones.
“Hammering a nail into a tree inevitably leaves a wound that exposes its insides to bacteria and fungi and causes decay of the wood, leading to a structurally weakened tree and can even shorten its life,” he said.