59 trees in Tisa: Will city give developer permission to cut?

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — A private developer is seeking permission to cut 32 trees and relocate 27 others to clear the site of a planned residential subdivision in Barangay Tisa, Cebu City.

Arcenas Development Corporation’s application is now before the Cebu City Council after the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) endorsed its inspection findings to the Committee on Environment.

The committee, chaired by Councilor Joel Garganera, will take up the request, which is included in the council’s regular session scheduled for August 4, 2026.

If the council grants the request, it will issue a resolution expressing no objection to the developer’s tree-cutting application, a requirement for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to process the necessary permit.

60 trees assessed

The CCENRO inspected the 13,291-square-meter site of the proposed Arcenas Highlands Residences on March 13, 2026, to assess the trees that could be affected by construction.

The inspection team documented 60 native and exotic trees and confirmed that the developer was seeking authority to remove or cut trees that would obstruct the subdivision’s construction.

Based on its assessment, the CCENRO recommended cutting 32 trees comprising various species, including avocado, caimito, gmelina, iba, ipil-ipil, lomboy, mahogany, an-an, mansanitas, nangka, and neem tree.

The office also recommended earth-balling 27 trees, including alim, binunga, tagisan-bayawak, tugas, avocado, nangka, talisay, lomboy, and igyu.

Earth-balling involves carefully uprooting a tree with its root ball intact and transferring it to another location rather than cutting it down.

The CCENRO recommended preserving the remaining Dita tree because of its environmental importance and proposed that it be declared a heritage tree.

Council action needed

The developer’s request remains pending before the Cebu City Council and is set for discussion during its August 4 regular session.

Should the council approve the request through a resolution, the document will be forwarded to the DENR for evaluation and processing of the tree-cutting permit.

If the DENR grants the permit, CCENRO personnel must supervise the earth-balling, cutting, and removal of the affected trees.

Arcenas Development Corporation will also be required to replace every tree cut by providing 100 assorted indigenous saplings to the CCENRO before any tree-cutting activity begins.

For trees that will undergo earth-balling, the required number of replacement saplings will be determined under City Ordinance No. 2623, or the Earth-Balling, Cutting or Removal of Trees Ordinance of Cebu City.

The Barangay Tisa local government unit has raised no objection to the developer’s application, provided that the project complies with existing policies on tree replacement.

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