Manila: President Rodrigo Duterte has asked the agrarian reform department to submit a survey of forest and agricultural land in Boracay, the world-renowned white beach island in central Philippines, so that it can be easily converted into a land reform area for communities there, a senior official said.
Duterte asked the department for an audit of land issues in the 1,028-hectare Boracay island in Aklan, central Philippines. “The president gave the agrarian reform department this assignment after its inclusion in the inter-agency task force that has been tasked to rehabilitate Boracay — it was closed off to tourists for six months starting April 26,” Environment Undersecretary Jonas Leones told Gulf News.
Before he left for China on April 9, Duterte said, “I have no master-plan in Boracay. I’ll clean it up because it is an agricultural land. After that, I’ll give it to the farmers. I’ll transform it into a land reform area. I’m telling you now: I’ll transform all of it into a land reform area. Then I’ll give it to the farmers.
“You’ll ask, ‘How about the business there?’ I’m sorry, but that is the law. The law says that it is a forest land, and agricultural land. Why would I deviate from that? Do I have a good reason to do that?” said Duterte.
In 2006, former President Gloria Arroyo signed Proclamation 1084, which classified Boracay into 40 per cent forestland and 60 per cent agricultural land.
Upholding the proclamation in 2008, the Supreme Court junked the petition of land claimants and ruled that no private entity can hold property in Boracay. Exempted from the rule were claimants with land titles that date back to before June 12, 1945, under the Property Registration Code — they can legally hold on to their properties in Boracay. Claimants with properties that do not satisfy this requirement were told to apply for a homestead or sales patent.
After giving an order on March 5, Duterte approved the total closure of Boracay for six months, starting April 26, for its rehabilitation from illegal structure and bad sewage system — which prompted him earlier to shame the famous tourist destination as a “cesspool”.
“We can make available about P2 billion ($39.215 million, Dh141 million) of assistance but this is only for the poor Filipinos. I will not spend a single centavo for those inns, hotels, and motels. Owners of those beautiful houses, don’t expect me to pay you anything,” announced Duterte at the time.
Asserting their right to build on Boracay, Macau casino giant Galaxy Entertainment and its Filipino partner, Leisure and Resorts World Corp (LRWC) also announced in March the building of a $500-million integrated resort on a 23 hectare property in Boracay. The developers claimed it was not a casino, but a leisure destination for Asian families, adding a provisional license with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the country’s gaming regulator, has been signed.
In 2017, TripAdvisor ranked Boracay one of the world’s top 25. In 2012, Travel and Leisure magazine declared Boracay as the world’s best beach island. Conde Nast Traveler has consistently praised Boracay. Tourist arrivals rose to two million in 2017, from 634,263 in 2008.
