Atienza, DepEd asked to probe cutting of trees on ‘Gapo campus
OLONGAPO CITY – Environmentalists here are up in arms over the cutting of several trees including centuries-old narra and mahogany on a public high school campus and called on Department on Environment and natural resources (DENR) Secretary Lito Atienza to order an investigation and go after the culprits.
They also asked the Region 3 Department of Education (DepEd) Director Tony Princepe to slap the school principal, Ellen Agabao, with Administrative charges.
City Councilor Jong Cortez, Committee on Environmental Protection chair, slammed school authorities after the environmental group Protect and Preserve to Prosper (PPP) reported about the fate of trees at the Olongapo City National High School (OCNHS).
The trees were felled for unknown reasons. The group blamed Agabao for the total disregard of the environment by authorizing the removal of the trees without first getting permission from the DENR.
“We have a law that estates the cutting requires permission from the DENR. Obviously no permit was obtained. The DENR should now therefore go after the violators,” the PPP said in a statement.
The local environmental watchdog believes Atienza is serious in protecting the environment and urged him to apply the long arm of the law in this particular case to serve as warning to those who would attempt to do the same on their respective campuses.
“Teachers, should be teaching our children to care for the environment and not destroy it. They should serve as role models in nature preservation. But Agabao showed OCNHS students the very opposite,” said Dr. Art Mendoza, Director of the James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital and an officer of the OCNHS Alumni Association.
Mendoza said the trees had been part and parcel of the daily campus life of past and present students. Those trees, he said, had stood there for as long as he could remember.
Cesar Santiago, board of director of OCNHS Batch ’85, said DepEd officials should not let those responsible for the misdeed to go unpunished.
“The area where the trees were was our watering hole. It is sad that future students of OCNHS will no longer enjoy the experience,” Santiago lamented.
--Tempo
They also asked the Region 3 Department of Education (DepEd) Director Tony Princepe to slap the school principal, Ellen Agabao, with Administrative charges.
City Councilor Jong Cortez, Committee on Environmental Protection chair, slammed school authorities after the environmental group Protect and Preserve to Prosper (PPP) reported about the fate of trees at the Olongapo City National High School (OCNHS).
The trees were felled for unknown reasons. The group blamed Agabao for the total disregard of the environment by authorizing the removal of the trees without first getting permission from the DENR.
“We have a law that estates the cutting requires permission from the DENR. Obviously no permit was obtained. The DENR should now therefore go after the violators,” the PPP said in a statement.
The local environmental watchdog believes Atienza is serious in protecting the environment and urged him to apply the long arm of the law in this particular case to serve as warning to those who would attempt to do the same on their respective campuses.
“Teachers, should be teaching our children to care for the environment and not destroy it. They should serve as role models in nature preservation. But Agabao showed OCNHS students the very opposite,” said Dr. Art Mendoza, Director of the James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital and an officer of the OCNHS Alumni Association.
Mendoza said the trees had been part and parcel of the daily campus life of past and present students. Those trees, he said, had stood there for as long as he could remember.
Cesar Santiago, board of director of OCNHS Batch ’85, said DepEd officials should not let those responsible for the misdeed to go unpunished.
“The area where the trees were was our watering hole. It is sad that future students of OCNHS will no longer enjoy the experience,” Santiago lamented.
--Tempo
posted by Olongapo Subic at
3:15 PM
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