One way to rub out dengue mosquitoes

NELIA FUENTEBELLA wrote that we should plant trees. (Inquirer, 5/15/11) She said it is the most doable thing to combat global warming. I can’t agree more.

Let me just suggest that there ought to be a law or ordinance banning the total concreting of sidewalks, so as to leave enough space for us to plant trees. If you walk around our metropolis, you can hardly see any plantable space on our sidewalks. Our mayors, city engineers, the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority should understand that we badly need trees even in our cities. Just imagine if our streets are canopied with trees (a la UP Diliman oval), do you think we would complain as much about the oppressive summer heat?

Three years ago, Speaker Sonny Belmonte, then Quezon City mayor, had the sidewalks of West Avenue and Visayas Avenue laid with red bricks. The Fernandos of Marikina have paved most of Marikina’s sidewalks. Lito Atienza covered every possible space with either cement or bricks. A law should indeed be crafted to prevent such future mayhem by other “utak-cemento” public officials.

With what the above politicos have done, we can’t have trees on our sidewalks. This is an injustice to the future generations, who would have to endure dirty air and oppressive heat. Also, take note that vector-borne illnesses (like malaria and dengue) rise with the global temperature.

And if the public would get the chance to plant trees, do it with native or indigenous trees. I’m referring to Dita, Guijo, Yakal, Lipote, Malapapaya, Ipil, Kalantas and many other trees. According to Dr. Jaime Galvez-Tan, the reason there is an increase in dengue cases even during the dry months is we have fewer native/indigenous trees now in our midst. The natural predator to the Aedes aegypti mosquito lives in our native trees. Since there are practically no more such trees in our cities, the predator can’t find shelter and survive in urban areas. With no one to prey on Aedes aegypti, freely thrives.

For seedlings of the above-mentioned trees, you can ask from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, North Ave, Quezon City. Its telephone numbers are 435-8877, 408-5441 or 434-0119.

—CHESTER C. CHANG,
13 Guatemala St., Loyola Grand Villas,
Barangay Tañong, Marikina City