Is sugar turning sour?

DENR Secretary Angelo Reyes is arriving here next week to launch the Green Philippines Highways project, a massive tree-planting activity in all major highways of the country. But the DENR chief must also be made aware that he should promote the planting of low-level trees rather the big ones that pose a threat to powerlines along the highway.

Roberto Montelibano, president of Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc., made this observation yesterday. He pointed out that the Central Negros Electric Cooperative of which he is a director, spends much to cut down trees that hit powerlines.

Montelibano proposed that these trees be planted some meters away from the highway or that Reyes advise the barangay chairmen and the stakeholders to plant low-lying trees that do not reach the power lines.

For that matter, Bob forgot to mention that kasla or tuba-tuba could be ideally planted along highways or, as in the case of the Ilocos provinces, bougainvilla.

And speaking of kasla, the MBCCI yesterday sold 70 kilograms of kasla seeds to the Tolong Multi-Purpose Cooperative through Preciosa Maturan, the chair.

Mrs. Maturan said the cooperative is hellbent on propagating Jatropha for the extraction of its oil which, when osterized, can be used as an alternative fuel mix to produce biodiesel.

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That oil tanker disaster spells real trouble for coastal communities along the path of the oil spill.

The two million liters of bunker fuel dumped into Guimaras Strait by MT Solar I of Sunshine Maritime Development Corp. must have coated with oil long stretches of the sea along Guimaras Strait.

The Philippine Coast Guard reportedly activated its Oil Spill Combat Teams. This will be assisted by Petron.

The coast guard will still have to come up with its damaged report. This should include the mangroves affected and the oil that could clothe the shorelines of the communities threatened by the spill.

We hope that the oil slick could immediately be scooped up. They can smother marine resources, especially fishes that thrive along the Guimaras Strait. It could also pollute corals.

One thing that bothers me is how that could affect the diwal population of Hinigaran which, according to Mayor Caroll Guanco, has made a spectacular comeback in that town.

After the Roxas City debacle, the Hinigaran diwal represents the hope of Western Visayas for its comeback and enough resources for the dining tables of posh restaurants.

We have seen the devastating impact on coastal environment by oil spills. The latest was the one in Antique which caused a major fund outflow from Petron just to clean up the area where it polluted coastal resources.

This cleanup by the Coast Guard and Petron must be closely monitored by the Provincial Disaster Management Team. And the PDMT should make sure that it really cleans up the ravaged areas.

And the Marine Industry Authority should undertake a thorough investigation into what caused the tanker to sink. That could possibly lead to solving the problems of how to insure that oil-bearing tankers plying the Philippines do not easily break and spill their cargo on our seas. And trigger a disaster.

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CENRO officials of Negros Oriental should not dilly-dally in their investigation of what to do with forest ranger Mansueto Rivero whom the police had arrested last week his wife, May Imogene (Malley) as the alleged mastermind in the Tanjay holdup of businessman Bogart Colina.

Two of his alleged companions - Ronald Laneres and Jun Vasquez, arrested in Mabinay town of Negros Oriental hours after the heist, had reportedly detailed in an affidavit the involvement of Riveros in the holdup.

That's a Bonnie and Clyde tale. And CENRO II must not delay finalizing their resolution of the Rivero case before the advent in Dumaguete City of DENR Secretary Angelo Reyes.

There's nothing worse than a government employee getting involved in a crime. But it makes it more reprehensible when a government office is turned by him into a safehouse for criminal elements.

He deserves to have the book thrown at him.*

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