QUEZON CITY, Philippines — Progressive lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc are pushing the House Committee on Ecology to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation regarding the clearance of 255 mature trees along Quirino Avenue in Manila to make way for San Miguel Corporation’s (SMC) Southern Access Link Expressway (SALEX).
Filed under House Resolution No. 1079 during the 20th Congress, the measure was authored by ACT Teachers Representative Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Representative Sarah Elago, and Kabataan Representative Renee Louise Co. The legislators are questioning the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) over its issuance of a permit that originally authorized the removal of 617 mature trees for the infrastructure development.
According to the resolution, tree-cutting operations have already claimed 245 mature trees, while 27 others were earth-balled. The filing highlights an urgent requirement to evaluate current environmental statutes, administrative guidelines, and regulatory frameworks governing tree-cutting permits.
Public outcry from religious and environmental advocacy organizations—who condemned the tree-cutting as “an act of ecological violence”—prompted the DENR to temporarily halt the operations on May 27 pending an internal review.
Through HR 1079, the lawmakers requested the ecology panel to summon all stakeholders connected to the construction of SMC’s SALEX and the removal of the trees. The resolution emphasizes the mandate under Article II, Section 16 of the 1987 Constitution, which obligates the government to protect and advance the public’s right to a balanced and healthful ecology, as well as the environmental safeguards established under Presidential Decree No. 1151.
Concurrently, a coalition of civil society groups, spearheaded by the Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines (YACAP) and Stop SALEX Movement co-convenor Menie Odulio, appealed to Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso and Vice Mayor Chi Atienza to rescind the project’s approvals.
The coalition argued that the city’s Certificate of No Objection was issued with incomplete information regarding the highway’s trajectory through Pedro Gil, A. Mabini, Padre Faura, San Marcelino, Ayala Boulevard, and Tondo.
A petition bearing 424 signatures, including representatives from 37 organizations, warned that the expressway threatens nearby communities and historical heritage landmarks, including Paco Park, UP Manila, the Supreme Court, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex.
“We will pursue all available legal remedies to stop SALEX from destroying the city of Manila,” Odulio said.