Some 25,707 signatures in a petition is urging Philippine Pres. Rodrigo Duterte to save the Philippine pine tree (Pinus insularis) in the city of Baguio, dubbed as the "city of pines".

The petition, penned by this writer who is also head of the environmental group Cordillera Ecological Center, raises the alarm on the wanton and unjustified killing of pine trees to accommodate hotels and business establishments. The city is the country's summer capital, visited by millions of tourists yearly because of its cool climate brought about by the pine trees.

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