IcelleARTicles: Trees and Tell

In the City's effort to preserve its heritage and historical value, research found its way underscoring the value of our City's trees, which is the environment's bedrock for ecological balance. In the course of my study, I stumbled into a goldmine revealing to me a new interest which has been left into oblivion for some time now until today. The first time I went to France, I came to know how the French really value their trees. There is a special office department under the Mayor's office that keeps track and inventory of all the trees in the parks and avenues. It was a big awe and surprise to me when I was led into the archives of trees, as every tree has its record kept by a librarian! A team of experts composes the office: horticulturists, agriculturists, landscapers, and historians. The organizational records are kept according to zoning, and each street has a team to prune, fertilize, and monitor the pests and diseases each season. Of course, I was amazed by that as I was lamenting on the state of our trees back here at home.

I see no excuse that we are a poor country, or a third world country, it's a matter of consciousness and awareness coupled with education and information on dissemination.

The trees that we see and enjoy right in our midst, tells a lot about our history and legacy.

The century old Acacias along the Fort Pilar and the Pettit barracks, were planted by our Spanish forbears. The Royal Palms lining our Valderroza St. and our Plaza Pershing were planted by the Early American Military Governor, and credit is due to Governor General Wood, whose fame dates back from Cuba before he was assigned to Zamboanga.

The succeeding Military Governors like Gen. "Blackjack" Pershing, focused on the landscaping and beautification, as well the establishing of a nature park known today as the Pasonanca Park. He employed the famous American landscaper and horticulturist, Mr. Thomas Hanley, who brought with him thousands of seedlings of trees, ornamentals, and flowering plants.

In the original Burnham-Anderson architectural layout plans for the City, is a city lined and shaded with trees, and we witnessed its glory in the 1920’s when Zamboanga earned its moniker as the "garden city' or the City of Flowers. In those days, people just walk about our streets because it was shaded, and it was cool, and the atmosphere was like a garden setup.

Our historical Trees are the City's Legacy that everybody should take an active part to preserve. The planting of trees are the conscious effort of our citizenry to maintain ecological balance and the best way to cool our planet!

The Acacias were originally from Africa.  It was brought to Mexico then during the time of the Manila-Acapulco galleon trading, and the seedlings were introduced to the Philippines. In those days, the "Masinloc River channel" off the Arena Blanco was the docking port of the Galleons, which was the direct access into the interior to the Mulu-Muluan area, and barrio Mercedes was the "nursery" where hundreds of acacias were planted for the purpose of propagation, after which was planted in the "Pueblo Viejo" or the present Pettit Barracks, which was the enclave and nucleus of the first Zamboanga Town. Along its avenues were planted the wide spreading acacia trees as part our early effort to make the city livable.

In the early part of my research, I was able to get hold of some important manuscript shared to me by Mr. Tito Alfaro, City Agriculturist, the research made by the late Zamboanga Historian, Cabonegro Navarro, which confirms my research.

When the Americans came, they saw these acacia trees were fast growing, luxuriant and shady and requires minimal maintenance. They propagated more and planted along the city roads and parks and also at the Calarian area.

I coordinated with the City Agriculturist Office to make the inventory of the city’s trees last 1999. There are 67 Royal Palms along Valderroza St., 21 Acacias along Pettit Barracks, 9 along R. T. Lim Boulevard, and 1 at the City Hall.

These trees are left to care for themselves, in their poor and lamenting status of neglect with the ugly cracks on our pavement and pedestrian areas, for concreting the roots!  It had to force itself for survival, lest man will do something and realize that these trees are alive!

If only trees can talk, they must be cursing these engineers who cemented the roots of trees, giving them a slim chance for survival.

A lot of our ancient trees had to go giving way to road expansion infrastructure and development, and in ten years time, it will be a tree less landscape and a vanishing scene.

I wonder how Zamboanga City will be without our Trees!

Our shoreline drives, were all shaded with the wide spreading Acacias, or "Rain Tree" even the San Jose-Baliwasan- Calarian west coast road were lined with trees.  At the Varadero de Recodo, are ancient Acacia trees that lorded the very entrance to the port, and are now a landmark. Lately, it had to be felled to give way to the expanding highway to the west coast.

At the San Ramon Penal Farm and Colony, are ancient Acacias and the flowering Banaba trees lining its avenue. In nearby Mercedes, are hundreds of Acacias growing wild and also at the Calarian Golf course area.

The trees we enjoy today are the legacy for our future generation. They not only supply us with the air we breath, the shade we enjoy, the fruits that sustains us and the hundreds of things we benefit from the wood for our dwellings, paper to write, medicinal cures, historical landmarks, and also to mark out our graves and monuments. Trees are planted to mark out the boundaries of our real estate holdings in place for the concrete monuments.