Environmental groups marked World Environment Day on Friday, June 5, with a protest along Quirino Avenue in Manila, denouncing the cutting of trees to make way for the Southern Access Link Expressway (SALEX) project of San Miguel Corporation (SMC).
Led by the Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (KPNE), Youth Advocates for Climate Action PH (YACAP), and other youth climate activists, the demonstrators condemned the destruction of trees, saying it undermines biodiversity and threatens community welfare.
Protesters stressed that the preservation of trees is more important than the construction of the expressway, warning that the project could damage surrounding ecosystems and disrupt government initiatives reliant on forest protection.
Their presence at the construction site forced workers to temporarily halt operations.
Policemen were also deployed to monitor the demonstrations, but did not attempt to disperse the crowd.
Chanting their opposition, the protesters vowed to continue resisting infrastructure projects that prioritize development over environmental protection, emphasizing that cutting down trees for expressway construction is a direct assault on both nature and future generations. (Selena Atun)
