Leave the ficus trees along Edsa alone!

Many people (including our drivers) were happy that the Edsa ficus trees that the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) used to trim into topiaries were left to grow lush and were nearing the height with which they would  be able to provide the much-needed shade for pedestrians along Edsa. But yesterday, on my way to the Bantayog ng mga Bayani, I was dismayed to notice, along the Cubao sidewalks going to Quezon Avenue, that the ficus trees were being trimmed to look like Christmas trees.

I am writing this in haste to prevent the other trees from being trimmed. Why can’t MMDA or whoever had the idea of having ficus Christmas trees along Edsa put their efforts and energies elsewhere and leave the Edsa trees alone? What will be the use of these trees after they shall have been trimmed like closed umbrellas. And I hope they will not spend useless money to buy Christmas lights to put on these trees. They are terribly unnecessary.

—SONIA S. MENDOZA,

chair, Mother Earth Foundation,

sonia.mef@gmail.com