MANILA - Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu on Saturday said he has directed environment personnel in Baguio City to take action as he expressed concern over "dying" pine trees in the summer capital.

Speaking at the Philippine Military Academy’s alumni homecoming, the retired military chief cited noticing that there were “more than 100” dying pine trees in the area where he was playing golf.

“I counted the number of dying pine trees. I counted more than 100. We might be losing the pine trees in Baguio,” he said.

Cimatu said he already directed his personnel to “do something about” the decline of pine trees in the city as well as maintaining them.

“We will make a study on this, on Baguio City as far as the environment is concerned,” he said.

Tourism hotspot Baguio City, heralded as the "City of Pines," is known for its pine trees which thrive in its cool weather.

But the alleged lack of conservation plans for pine trees in the city have been an impending issue as public officials have come under public scrutiny for allegedly uprooting the iconic trees in place of infrastructure.

• Pagputol ng mahigit 100 pine trees para sa pagtatayo ng opisina ng BSP, binatikos
• Baguio City solon in trouble for uprooting pine trees

Earlier this year, a group of students urged President Rodrigo Duterte to save the remaining tree park in Baguio City.

- with reports from Michelle Soriano and Angela Coloma, ABS-CBN News