Stop trimming of shade trees

THIS IS the second time I am writing about the “Edsa trees.” The first time was when the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) cut the trees along Edsa fronting Camp Aguinaldo and all along the front of White Plains Avenue. Then we saw saplings of ficus trees planted along Edsa and we thought it was commendable of the MMDA to do so. Ficus trees grow and provide good shade in due time.

Most of the trees along Edsa grew big and would have started to provide much-needed shade for pedestrians and for “greening” the landscape. But lo and behold! The trees were all trimmed and made into topiaries!

We would like to call the attention of MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino to stop the trimming of these trees into topiaries and let the trees grow to their natural height. Somebody from the MMDA should go to Guangzhou, China and look at the shade provided by the ficus trees planted along the sidewalks in Xingang Xi Lu Road. Barcelona in Spain also boasts of medium-height trees planted along sidewalks all over the city, but none of them are trimmed into topiaries.

Manila is in the tropics and full-grown trees would provide a much-desired shade for pedestrians and motorists alike, not to mention the beneficial environmental effects that trees have—for example, on the air we breathe.

—SONIA S. MENDOZA,
chairman,
Mother Earth Foundation,
sonia@motherearth.ph