DOTr eyes mandatory tree planting for transport franchise applicants

November 15, 2020

The Department of Transportation is planning to make mandatory the tree planting for public transport cooperatives and individuals before they can acquire a franchise or license.

During a televised situation briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte In Tuguegarao City on Sunday, DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade said there is a need to continue the reforestation program to prevent massive flooding, just like what happened in Cagayan Valley when Typhoon Ulysses struck the country.

Tugade said requiring tree planting in processing licenses and franchises were recommended by one of his regional directors in Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

“It was recommended by one of my RD in LTFRB, ‘Sir why don’t you include it in the process that when a cooperative gets a franchise or an individual gets a license, part of their responsibility is to plant trees?’” he told Duterte.

Tugade said each cooperative should plant at least minimum of 500 trees while 10 trees for each individual.

“If we will do this, requiring tree planting before issuing franchise or license, we will be able to plant more trees,” he said.

The secretary said he will make this requirement nationwide.

“I will be coordinating closely with (Environment) Secretary Roy Cimatu in identifying the areas where we can plant,” he said.

For his part, Cimatu said they are also planning to include local government units (LGUs) and residents in tree planting.

“We are talking with SILG (Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano) to come up with an agreement,” he said.

“If we can do this, we can already make a difference,” he added.

Aside from illegal mining, Duterte said illegal logging is also one of the reasons why there is flooding in the country.

He asked LGUs to include in their forest protection efforts against illegal logging and mining.

“We also work to prevent the repetition of disaster of this kind with forest protection efforts against illegal logging and mining. I expect our LGUs to do their part in this endeavor,” the President said.

Duterte went to Tuguegarao City on Sunday to check the situation in the region after it was badly-hit by the typhoon.

A total of 69 people, 24 in Cagayan region, died, 21 were injured while 12 were still missing due to Ulysses. Ella Dionisio/DMS