Why cut trees to build a Garden in the Sky? critics of SM plan in Baguio ask
by Maybelle A. Luna, InterAksyon.com
January 21, 2012

BAGUIO CITY — To residents of this mountain resort city protesting a development plan of a mall developer, the choice has come down to simply this: will they have breathing living trees or dead concrete buildings, albeit certified with a “green” design?

More than 3,000 residents marched down the main thoroughfare of the city to protest the development plan of SM Prime Holdings to build a seven-story structure that will hold a large parking lot, open air dining and entertainment facilities and other retail outlets.

SM had earlier assured critics the development will be “green” in every way by touting its distinction as the first local shopping mall to be certified by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) created by the US Green Building Council, the partner of SM in its building design.

The plan’s opposers, however, replied that what they want is green in nature, and not in concrete buildings.

The heart of the protest is this: to build SM’s green building, close to 200 trees will have to be cut down, and, given the state that the environment has come to here, the plan has pushed people to the streets.

Students, professionals, nuns, artists were among those who waved placards in all the colors of nature. What the placards say capture just how this part of the city feels about losing their trees.

Cut the Greed-Save the Trees. It’s not About What You Build But About What You Kill. We Were Here Before You Came-Yours the Paper, Ours the Land. Earthball Your Mall, Not Our Trees. Your Parking Lot is Not Worth Dying For. You Never Know the Worth of Trees Till You Feel the Thirst. The Trees Can’t Fight for Themselves , So Let’s Unil]te to Fight For Them.

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