On January 20, 2011, ABS-CBNNews.com reported that around "3,000 people marched across the streets of Baguio City to protest the planned uprooting of nearly 200 trees for the construction (of SM Baguio's) seven-floor parking building."

The report had noted: "SM City Baguio was granted a cutting-balling permit by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) last October. The protesters blame the local government and the DENR for approving the project."

In the same report, SM management said that "no trees will be killed since they will all be replanted." However, as the report pointed put, "environmentalists warned that there is no guarantee that all of the replanted trees will survive."

In a Sun.Star Baguio article published on January 28, it was reported that concerned citizens and SM management will have to wait longer before a resolution is reached. The report explained: "Residents who want to join the stakeholders dialogue called by Mayor Mauricio Domogan will have to wait until after budget deliberations are done at the City Council. This is because the City Council cannot schedule hearings in its agenda as specified in the Local Government Code until the proposed P1.168-billion city budget is approved."

The report went on to say that "Domogan called for a dialogue after representatives from SM wanted an opportunity to present the design they have prepared for their mall expansion." SM management maintains that they will replant the trees, but concerned Baguio residents and environmentalists would rather that the trees be left where they are.

For more on this story, log on to ABS-CBNNews.com and Sun.Star Baguio.