DENR defends mass cutting of trees in Manila for road project
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) justified on Wednesday the cutting of mature trees with sprawling canopies that provided shade for years on Quirino Avenue in Manila, saying it was legally authorized and subject to strict environmental safeguards.
Several netizens have voiced concern over the tree cutting amid rising temperatures and the deteriorating air quality in Metro Manila.
“The tree cutting along the western portion of Quirino Avenue is for the construction of the Southern Access Link Expressway (SALEx) project which will connect the Skyway to Roxas Boulevard,” the DENR said in a statement.
The operation is authorized under a valid permit (Permit No. 2026-02-24-TCEBP-1609) issued to the Southern Access Link Expressway Corp., it added.
The DENR public information division told the Inquirer that as of Tuesday night, 225 of the around 600 trees approved for cutting have already been processed.
It said that under Presidential Decree No. 705, Presidential Decree No. 953 and other existing forestry and environmental regulations, the cutting or earthballing of trees is allowed when necessary for infrastructure projects, public works and other development activities.
It added that this is subject to securing the required permits and strictly observing environmental safeguards.
“To offset the trees that were cut, the project proponent is required to undertake large‑scale replacement planting within the next planting season as a condition of the permit,” the DENR said.
‘Replacement planting’
For the project, a total of 50,700 seedlings must be planted within the City of Manila, in line with the Memorandum on Seedling Replacement Uniform Ratio, with planting sites to be determined in coordination with the local government to ensure ecological benefits to the area.
The DENR stressed that “tree cutting is not automatically permitted” as all applications undergo evaluation. It said that applications must comply with environmental laws, technical assessments, coordination with concerned local government units, and the implementation of mitigation measures to address ecological impacts.
According to the San Miguel Corp. Infrastructure website, SALEx is a proposed 40.62-kilometer expressway featuring both elevated viaduct and shoreline sections.
It will be divided into four segments: the C3-R10 Extension, Shoreline Expressway, Quirino Extension and Buendia Extension.
The Quirino Extension is designed to connect Skyway Stage 3 at the Quirino Interchange with the proposed Shoreline Expressway and Roxas Boulevard via an elevated roadway.
