The city council on Thursday passed a resolution calling for the investigation into the “death” of more than 200 earth-balled trees after they were affected by the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project alignment, a city official said on Thursday.

Councilor Joel Garganera, chair of the Cebu City Council’s Committee on Environment, said the city government tapped a cooperative to do the earth-balling of 228 trees along the BRT routes last year.

“It seems that the hired contractor was not equipped with the technology to do the earth-balling,” he said in an interview.

Earth-balling is the process of transferring a tree from one place to another by digging out the soil and roots in a circular shape, leaving most of the root system undisturbed and intact.

Garganera explained that earth-balling a tree requires special skills in downsizing, culturing, and ensuring it can absorb nutrients and water when re-planted.

He said the Cebu City Council has forwarded the resolution directing the Cebu City Legal Office to conduct the investigation and find out who is responsible for the demise of the Indian and Balete trees.

“The city legal is also tasked to review the arrangement and coordination with the BRT management as to how the money downloaded to the city for tree propagation along the BRT route would be spent,” he added.

City council member Nestor Archival said the investigation should also look into the possible accountability of personnel of Cebu City’s Environment and Natural Resources Office and Agriculture Office tasked to oversee the earth-balling activity last year.

The city required a PHP10,000 bond for each tree subjected to earth-balling, but the officials said it was not implemented.

In a related development, the city government broke ground for its new wildlife resource protection facility and people’s eco-park in the closed Cebu Zoo.

Mayor Michael Rama, who led the groundbreaking ceremony, said the facility will be the mini-forest for endemic trees and a refuge for wildlife animals and endemic birds found in the locality.

“This is going to be the place where nature expands its breath and the people could go to relax under the blessings of the environment,” Rama told Philippine News Agency.

He cited the eco-park as a living testament to the people’s shared responsibility and commitment to sustainable development. (PNA)

Photo credit: Facebook/CEBRT