Plant Poaching Incidents Reported in Baguio City Parks!
Just yesterday (Thursday), September 10, 2020, City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) Assistant Department Head, Atty. Rhenan Diwas, has issued a warning against plant poachers in Baguio City.
And earlier this morning, September 11, 2020 (Friday), the Public Information Office of the City of Baguio revealed that CEPMO has already reported that some plants in the city’s parks and greenbelts have already been lost to plant thieves.
Reported Plant Poaching
According to Atty. Diwas, the monstera plants which were long inhabiting portions of the Mines View Park and Burnham Park have been nearly wiped out by the poachers. Currently, monstera plants are in demand indoor plants and they sell at a high price.
Here are some of the other plant poaching incidents in the City of Baguio:
- The City Hall Park was divested of succulents
- The Upper Session Road greenbelt was stripped off of rubber trees
- There’s a video of an unidentified woman swiping plants from one of the city’s public elementary schools (posted by a local netizen)
Measures to Enhance Security in the Parks
Following the discovery of the plant theft incidents, other parks and pocket gardens are now being inspected to check their conditions. To prevent such incidents from occurring, measures will be undertaken.
Here are some of the measures to enhance the security in the parks as mentioned by the Public Information Office of the City of Baguio:
- Apart from the regular security personnel in the parks, the city will tap the Public Order and Safety Division (POSD) to include the parks in their daily roving itineraries.
- Barangays will be asked to help by guarding the parks and greenbelts within their jurisdictions and by reporting cases
- Residents are also being encouraged to help by reporting similar incidents by taking photos or videos of said acts
Plant Poaching Punishable by Law
Atty. Diwas warned that plant poaching, picking or cutting of plants within government properties is a criminal act punishable by law. Click here for the penalties for plant poachers.
Related: CEPMO Warns Plant Poachers
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