Leyte Rep. Richard Gomez on Thursday batted for the conservation of age-old trees as he called for an upgrade of the government’s antiquated earth-balling system being used to transplant full-grown trees from one place to another.
Gomez said better technology for the transfer of full-grown trees is needed amid the growing risks of climate change.
Gomez’s proposal was contained in House Bill 9124.
The bill mandates the annual appropriation of funds for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the procurement, maintenance, and use of at least one set of machinery known as “earth balling equipment” per region to be used in road improvement and other developmental projects.
It defines an earth-balling machine as a mechanized apparatus specifically designed to relocate trees that obstruct road-widening efforts.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) define earth balling as “the process of moving trees by digging out the earth and the roots in a circular shape, leaving most of the root system undisturbed and intact.”
Less that 50 percent of earth-balled trees transferred survive, studies show.
Gomez said the earth-balling method “guarantees the survival and continued growth of the transplanted tree, thereby maintaining the environmental balance and ecological integrity of the area. This process is essential as it allows for the coexistence of infrastructure development and environmental sustainability.”
In a privileged speech to highlight the importance of passing HB 9124, Gomez said that a DENR memorandum issued in November 2009 stated that the cutting of trees that obstruct road-widening projects is only allowed when earth balling is already impractical.
However, he noted that the DPWH is still undertaking “manual” or “traditional” earth balling because “there was no budget for (the purchase of) earth balling machines.”
“This is a laborious and expensive process. I believe that it is because of this complication that tree cutting permits are methodically granted to DPWH for road-widening projects,” Gomez said as he urged his colleagues: “Let us bring down the number of trees cut to the barest minimum.”
Gomez noted that there have been headways in earth-balling procedures during the past years. In 2022, he said 228 trees were earth balled in Cebu City because they were on the path of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit project. The earth balling effort to save the trees was pegged at P17 million. On another front, the local government of Puerto Princesa in Palawan purchased an earth balling machine in 2019 for P16 million to save Balayong trees from road-widening projects. The trees were successfully replanted in a 7.3-hectare park, which is now poised to be another tourist attraction for the city.
Gomez underscored that “automating the earth balling process is crucial due to its labor-intensive nature. Traditional manual transplantation requires a significant workforce and often leads to delays and increased costs. By integrating mechanization, we can enhance the efficiency of our road-widening projects while minimizing the environmental impact.”
“And we can do this by simply mechanizing the process of earth balling trees. I have filed a bill to mandate the purchase and use of earth balling machines by the DPWH – appropriating funds for the purchase of said equipment per region. I hope to get your support for this measure,” he said.
He added that “by harnessing the capabilities of a tree-balling machine, we can usher in a new era of infrastructure growth that harmoniously coexists with the natural world.”
“We need to fully internalize that trees are worth so much more to us alive than dead. So, we need to save as many trees as we can. On the average, a tree absorbs 25 kilos of carbon dioxide each year. The per capita greenhouse gas for the Philippines is 1.2 tons per year – this means that just 48 trees absorb the equivalent GHG of one Filipino per year. And trees do more than just absorb greenhouse gases. Trees give us shade, prevent erosion, prevent flooding, and enhance the beauty of our surroundings,” he stressed. Maricel V. Cruz