It is not as easy as it looks.

Growing trees and ensuring adequate care for them would require a fusion of science and passion if one seeks to have a more sustainable, lush future to look forward to. The task is tedious, and would require a huge amount of time, effort and resources.

JSA Inc. knows this all too well as it has long built a solid reputation in landscape development, providing allied services such as grounds maintenance, tree servicing and sports field maintenance since it started operations in 1997.

“JSA offers practical solutions for various tree care, grounds maintenance, and landscape development projects. As a company, we maintain a team of experienced, licensed professionals who all share a passion for getting a job done well. We like getting that ‘Wow!’ from our clients,” said JSA Inc. president Joseph D. Server.

With professional arborists and experienced landscape artists on board, JSA brings diverse expertise, as well as its “Can Do” culture, all focused on enhancing the customer experience. As a major player in the field, JSA stays on top of technological advances and applies innovative approaches to current industry practices.

“We are lucky to have found a niche market, where everyone wants to save the trees. In our years of operation, we have already rendered services for a number of individuals and even large developers who realize the value of preserving trees and making it a part of their masterplan,” Server related.

“We have been a business partner for a number of people whose goal is to have improved landscape management systems and quality project execution. We do pruning, balling, surgery, plant protection and cabling. We have helped preserve the trees along McKinley Road and is now currently involved with the landscape maintenance of the Bonifacio Global City area,” Server further shared.

With tree preservation and care as one of its expertise, JSA was recently tapped by leading property developer Ayala Land Inc. for the redevelopment of the Ayala Triangle Gardens (ATG) in Makati City.

Server explained that they were tapped by the real estate giant to conduct and oversee the balling of trees within the Ayala Triangle Gardens. Tree balling or earth-balling is the process of moving a tree by digging out the earth and the roots in a circular shape, leaving most of the root system undisturbed and intact. Balling out of trees entails careful work by experienced crew and includes the use of heavy lifting equipment like large booms and cranes.

The company, according to Server, developed tree protection guidelines for the ATG prior to construction. This is reportedly a proactive move as opposed to tree rehabilitation after construction.

Server said that JSA has been part of the planning effort to save as many good trees as possible for relocation within ATG and for use in another ALI project, Circuit Makati. The company currently has on board full time foresters and horticulturists dedicated to tree care and who are familiar with the latest best practices for trees.

“For ATG, initially, an inventory and assessment of trees was carried out to determine the apparent health condition of each tree. The trees were then classified based on their health conditions. Healthy trees or those with no apparent signs of disease or injury were recommended for balling. Damaged trees or those with rot, injuries, infected portions or infestation were recommended for removal since they currently are or may become safety hazards which are a threat to public safety,” Server said.

“Healthy trees have high survival rates when balled out. But much of the survival depends on the after care given to the tree in terms of proper planting, watering and feeding with nutrients. This after care is common knowledge to horticulturists but the investment and commitment to providing it for the trees is what makes ALI stand out among other land development companies. More than any developer, ALI understands that investment in landscaping pays off and it’s because of their respect for trees that makes our company enjoy working for and with ALI,” he explained.

Server pointed out that Ayala is one of the more progressive companies that look at their trees as an asset, or as an investment, unlike other firms that would resort to less expensive, and easier to implement measures: to simply cut the trees.

“It is costly, but you have to look at it in terms of non-financial considerations. When people see that you care for trees, that’s a sign that you will care for them as well,” Server further stressed.

Server admitted that the company undergoes a rigorous and highly thorough process in the balling of trees, even going beyond what is required of them by law. For instance, this process alone will require a lot of preparations such as determining the condition of the trees, securing the necessary permits from the local government units and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and conducting consultations with the academe, various groups, and affected stakeholders to get their inputs, as a way to ensure transparency.

Add to this is the challenge of making people aware and understand that JSA’s main task is to preserve and take care of the trees that have been balled.

According to Server, there were already 71 trees that were balled, 28 of which were moved to another ALI project called Circuit Makati, while the rest were replanted within the Ayala Triangle Gardens.

“It was a two-month process from the pruning to the balling of trees, after which we will devote another six months to take care of these trees. We will keep watering and fertilizing them and we will be on the lookout for possible threats. It’s a thorough process. We didn’t take any shortcuts,” he explained.

With JSA on board, ALI waxed optimistic that the ongoing impressive redevelopment and enhancement of one of the country’s last remaining urban oases will further excite the public.

Serving as a respite from the glass and steel structures and the towering skyscrapers that have long dominated the Makati Central Business District, the Ayala Triangle Gardens has already become a favored destination, a calming haven for many urbanites wanting to take a breather from today’s fast paced lifestyles, since it opened to the public in 2009.

A lush, landscaped expanse of over 20,000 sqm populated by over a hundred trees of different varieties, this “sub-district” is now a favorite haunt for those wanting to enjoy a jog or brisk walk, or for friends and families wanting to bond over good food from its strip of posh restaurants, bakeries and cafes.

But there’s no stopping ALI from doing more and giving the public a much deserved sanctuary.

Over the next five years, ALI is embarking on another phase of redevelopment for the Ayala Triangle Gardens-a large scale project that serves as a testatement to the company’s confidence in the steady growth and progress of the Philippine economy.

Based on the masterplan, the ongoing redevelopment will be limited only to the top portion of the triangle and will cover 12 percent of the total area of the property. This means that the generous open spaces, which have made Ayala Triangle Gardens unique and valuable, will be kept and maintained at about 60 percent of the area. Soon to rise are new structures that would further enhance this oasis, including a retail podium, Tower Two, the new 275-room Mandarin Hotel, and a new set of dining areas that will flow seamlessly into the gardens. ADVT