Did you know that research says 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year? It also estimates that 46% of the world's trees have been cleared over the past 12,000 years.

RA No. 3571 rule is the act to prohibit the cutting, destroying or injuring of planted or growing trees, flowering plants and shrubs or plants of scenic value along public roads in plazas, parks, school premises or in any other public pleasure grounds.

Heeding the appeal of protesters, Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. asked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to stop the cutting of 259 trees along a road being widened to ease traffic at Clark Freeport. Roseller Tolentino, DPWH director in Central Luzon, said Lazatin’s request to the agency’s Pampanga third engineering district cited the “vehement opposition” of Save the Trees Coalition (STC). The Inquirer learned that around 50 trees had already been cut.

With the cut of the trees in Angeles City Pampanga, most people who live there are not getting fresh air just for the sake of a road widening that only makes it worse because now more transportation vehicles like cars, jeepneys etc. will go there . Trees help to contain dust, ash, pollen and smoke that harm our lungs. Now without those trees, people living  there has a high chance to get respiratory diseases and even worse for the people who already had. Not only that, many animals who live there will lose their habitat and many of them will most likely die because of lost of habitat and starvation.

What can we do to solve this issue?

It's simple yet hard to do, it is to plant more trees in Pampanga.

Benefits of Urban Trees

• TREES ADD BEAUTY AND IMPROVE PERSONAL HEALTH.
• TREES REDUCE AIR POLLUTION.
• TREES CONSERVE WATER AND REDUCE SOIL EROSION.
• TREES SAVE ENERGY.
• TREES MODIFY LOCAL CLIMATE.
• TREES INCREASE ECONOMIC STABILITY.
• TREES REDUCE NOISE POLLUTION.
• TREES CREATE WILDLIFE AND PLANT DIVERSITY.

We must prevent trees from getting cut down in urban areas and much better if we can plant more. Also it is more effective if we are not just focusing on planting trees on urban areas but in rural places too. RA No. 3571 must be strictly followed for this law helps the conservation of trees in public areas that can help the citizens of Pampanga to have a fresh air to breathe. Even if it's hard, with the support of everyone with us, we will do what must be done.

For everyone that sees this, please sign up, share this petition in locality and help us to conserve trees in Pampanga.

Sources:

• https://news.mongabay.com/2015/09/how-many-trees-are-cut-down-every-year/
• https://www.google.com/amp/s/newsinfo.inquirer.net/1211498/dpwh-suspends-cutting-of-259-trees-in-angeles-city/amp
• https://www.google.com/amp/thecorpusjuris.com/amp/legislative/republic-acts/ra-no-3571.php 
• https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.state.sc.us/forest/urbben.htm&ved=2ahUKEwjX1s26rbHuAhWPdd4KHSWECWQQFjACegQIAhAE&usg=AOvVaw19HNuCsveQEpSFPEnlUh5B

For more information, visit our website at: https://markjeromerosana.wixsite.com/conservetrees 

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