The president of Caritas Philippines condemned the mass cutting of old trees in Manila, adding that it is a form of “ecological violence” against the residents of the city, especially the poor.
Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, bishop of the Diocese of San Carlos in Negros Occidental, spoke out against the project and said that cutting down the mature trees along Quirino Avenue directly harmed workers, commuters, and families who faced extreme city heat on a daily basis.
“[It] is an act of ecological violence against the people of Manila, a direct assault on the poor who have been enduring the daily penance of extreme heat, poisoned air, and sudden floods,” Alminaza said.
The bishop explained that these trees, which he calls “silent protectors,” lined the busy road for generations and provided shade and relief to people who walked through the crowded city.
The tree cutting happened because of the construction of the Southern Access Link Expressway developed by San Miguel Corporation. The 40.62-kilometer elevated toll road aims to connect Skyway Stage 3 to Roxas Boulevard.
Bishop Alminaza questioned the goals of this city development and warned that progress should not hurt vulnerable communities.
“Why must ‘development’ always demand the sacrifice of the vulnerable? Why are our cities designed for vehicles and concrete instead of for children, workers, pedestrians, and the elderly? We refuse to hide this injustice behind bureaucratic language. What is legal on paper is not automatically moral in the eyes of God,” he added.