Manila, Philippines — Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) conducted a transplanting operation for two Narra trees at Hidden Garden Manila on Thursday, May 28.
The activity was led by Assistant Secretary Norlito Eneran and Regional Executive Director Michael Drake Matias to relocate the trees that had previously undergone “earthballing” from Quirino Avenue.
According to the DENR, the initiative forms part of the agency’s environmental safeguard measures for trees affected by infrastructure and development projects in the city. The agency also opened the activity to the media to raise public awareness about the earthballing and tree relocation process.
Based on DENR records, a total of 617 trees along Quirino Avenue and Roxas Boulevard are scheduled for cutting, with 94 identified as suitable for earthballing or transplanting. At present, around 245 trees have already been cut.
Eneran said that most of the trees removed along Roxas Boulevard and Quirino Avenue had already undergone assessment by the agency.
Among the most common conditions observed were cavities or decay in roots and base trunks, accounting for 44 percent; leaning trees or those entangled with electrical wires at 26 percent; and dead, wilting, or deformed trees at 19 percent.
The assessment further showed that only 65 trees, or 11 percent, were found to be healthy and structurally stable.