Groups decry cutting of decades-old trees for Manila expressway project

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MANILA, Philippines – Environmental groups, fisherfolk organizations, and concerned youth protested in Manila on Tuesday against the Department of Natural Resources (DENR)-backed cutting of decades-old trees for the Southern Access Link Expressway (SALEx) project.

Led by Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment, the green advocates gathered along Mabini Street, forming a human chain around remaining trees marked for cutting.Earlier, the DENR defended the removal of mature shade trees along Quirino Avenue in Manila, saying the activity was legally permitted and carried out under strict environmental regulations.READ: DENR defends mass cutting of trees in Manila for road project

“Tree-cutting permits for SALEx expose how environmental governance has been reduced to rubber-stamping corporate projects,” said Cathleen de Guzman, national coordinator of Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment.

Critics said SALEx forms part of a wider network of expressways and reclamation projects that benefit investors and elite mobility while displacing communities and damaging ecosystems.