The Save the Trees Coalition (STC) and the Angeles City Council have agreed to work together on long-term measures aimed at protecting the iconic Friendship Trees while ensuring public safety and sustainable urban development.
The commitment was reached during the regular session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod on June 9, after the coalition requested an audience with the council to discuss concerns over recent pruning activities along Friendship Highway.
Presided over by Vice Mayor Amos Rivera, the session focused on the protection of the 259 Friendship Trees, which the coalition said are covered by an Environmental Protection Order (EPO) issued by the Court of Appeals in 2024.
Representing the coalition, Atty. Bianca Viel Caligagan raised concerns about the pruning activities and stressed the importance of ensuring that all actions affecting the trees comply with the provisions of the EPO. She also updated council members on the status of a pending injunction case before the Supreme Court seeking the long-term protection of the trees.
Forester Luid Paolo Serrano provided technical insights on urban forestry and tree maintenance, emphasizing that healthy trees are essential to public safety.
Serrano explained that excessive pruning — defined as removing more than 30 percent of a living tree’s canopy — and tree topping, or the removal of an entire canopy, are not effective methods of preventing branch failure.
According to Serrano, excessive pruning weakens tree structure and triggers epicormic sprouting, a stress response that produces rapid regrowth from dormant buds. He noted that such regrowth is often structurally weak and poorly attached, increasing the risk of branch failure or even tree collapse during strong winds and storms.
Council members, including Councilor Raco Paolo del Rosario, expressed appreciation for the technical information presented and acknowledged the importance of science-based approaches to urban forestry management.
Vice Mayor Rivera welcomed the coalition’s presentation and underscored the value of collaboration between environmental advocates and the local government.
“We are grateful for your group’s presentation because we were all enlightened,” Rivera said. “STC and our local government can certainly work hand in hand in the spirit of balancing progress, environmental protection and public safety.”
Rivera subsequently moved to file a resolution supporting the creation of standards and guidelines for tree pruning, maintenance and assessment. The proposal includes the formation of a Technical Working Group composed of representatives from the Save the Trees Coalition, the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), and other stakeholders.
Councilor JC Aguas, chairperson of the committee on environment, signified her support and said she would “gladly author” the proposed resolution.
Beyond the resolution, the coalition urged the city council to consider a local ordinance that would ensure the long-term protection of the 259 Friendship Trees. Caligagan also proposed declaring Friendship Highway and its tree-lined corridor a cultural and environmental heritage area in recognition of its historical, ecological and community significance.
Before the session concluded, STC President Dina Zulueta emphasized that environmental protection, public safety and urban development should not be viewed as competing interests.
Zulueta said many countries have demonstrated that urban growth and environmental preservation can go hand in hand, adding that Angeles City can pursue the same path.
She also highlighted the everyday benefits that trees provide to Angeleños, including environmental, social and public health advantages, and called for sustained efforts to protect the city’s urban canopy for future generations.
