Environmental activists yesterday asked Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes to spare the remaining 530 trees along the Manila North Road in Bulacan from being cut in a road-widening project.

Over 20 environmental groups asked Reyes to cancel the permit he issued allowing the cutting of 628 trees to clear the way for a "flagship" road expansion project in Bulacan.

The Bangon Kalikasan Movement, EcoWaste Coalition and other green groups asked Reyes to revoke the Special Tree Cutting Permit issued by DENR to the Department of Public Works and Highways in January 2007.

The permit covers the cutting of 628 trees along the Manila North Road, also known as MacArthur Highway, in the municipalities of Balagtas, Bocaue, Calumpit, Guiguinto and the city of Malolos. Ninety-eight of these trees had already been felled. The targeted trees have a corresponding net volume of 35,336 cubic meters.

Members of the EcoWaste Coalition on March 8 went to the city of Malolos to witness the appalling cutting of trees of various species. They took photos of fallen trees as well as trees painted with red, a mark of their wretched destiny under the chainsaw.

Environmental groups could hardly reconcile the issuance of the permit to cut trees with the DENR-led "Greening the Philippine Highways" campaign that was launched in August 2006.

"We believe that widening the road will not significantly improve the traffic situation there and would just give more space for parking, hawking, and other activities as we have observed from the situation where the road has been widened," said Joey Papa, president of Bangon Kalikasan Movement.

"We strongly object to sacrificing the trees for a government flagship project which, in the first place, should have carefully taken into account that the trees represent the deeper interest of protecting the health of people and the environment, especially now that global warming is fast intensifying," added Rei Panaligan, coordinator of EcoWaste Coalition.