"Killing trees is like killing people," Dr. Portia Gamboa-Lapitan, director of the Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems in Los Baños, Laguna said during a lecture on the importance of trees in Dumaguete City, recently.

Lapitan stressed the need for the co-existence of man and the trees and the necessity to integrate them into man's vision and development perspective.

Trees give us food for energy, oxygen for clean air, spring for clean water, deflects noise pollution, contribute to the fertility of soil, among others, she said.

The Friends of Banica River and the Environment Inc., spearheaded the lecture to raise awareness and transmit skills on the protection of trees.

Lapitan pointed out that the earth has to be cooled down for mankind to survive, even as fears of a global warming remain a concern, signs of which include erratic weather conditions.

Provincial Environment and Natural Resources officer Jun Cabrido said the forest is the mother of all ecosystems.

Vice Gov. Jose Baldado said trees are normally taken for granted. He said it is not enough that we have trees, they should be healthy and beautiful. He criticized the indiscriminate cutting and even pruning of trees, ironically, with permits issued by the DENR.

Baldado said the correct manner and process in cutting and pruning should be followed. Permits to cut trees should not be issued unless necessary or in hazardous situations, he added.

The Friends of Banica River stressed the PENRO, the Local Government Units and Department of Public Works and Highways or even electric cooperatives should coordinate in instances where trees are cut, trimmed or pruned.*

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