BY JEROME ANING, NIKKO DIZON
Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano has opposed an agreement approved by recently resigned Environment Secretary Lito Atienza that allows a private resort to be built on a contested area in the world-famous Boracay Island in Aklan.
In putting itself athwart the recently signed Forest Land Use Agreement for Tourism Proposes (Flag-T) between the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Boracay Island West Cove Resort in Boracay, the Department of Tourism sided with local authorities that govern Boracay, who said the site sat on dangerous ground.
Flag-T granted a renewable 25-year lease to the Boracay West Cove Resort to a site located at Sitio Diniwid in Barangay Balabag, one of the three barangays (villages) on Boracay Island.
“The Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) for Boracay Island, adopted by the municipal government, indicates that the island is prone to geologic hazard where any development should be preceded by a thorough geotechnical study of the project site,” Durano said in a statement.
Pacquiao resort?
The deal has raised eyebrows from its inception because the owner of the resort, businessman Crisostomo Aquino, is known to be a close friend of Atienza and boxing icon Manny Pacquiao. Speculation has placed Pacquiao as the real owner of the place.
Durano contended that the planned resort included areas that were in no-build zones, as surveyed in the CLUP.
“The construction of the said resort facility along the line of cliffs in Sitio Diniwid has obviously not taken into consideration the threat imposed by geo-hazard conditions of the area. The resort was built very close to the cliff and on top of fallen boulders of cliffs which comprise an unstable structure,” he said.
Atienza for his part said yesterday that Durano should “stick to tourism” when sought for comment.
‘Stick to tourism’
“He should just stick to tourism issues and I’ll stick to environmental concerns,” Atienza told the Inquirer by phone.
Atienza added that he did not want to get into a fight with anyone more so in this matter since he had already resigned as environment chief to concentrate on his bid to reclaim the top seat in Manila in 2010. (See related story below)
Durano’s statement quoted architect Maria Lisa Santos, CLUP land-use specialist, as agreeing with Durano’s observation. Santos said, “We have determined Sitio Diniwid to be an area where only nonpermanent structures may be built because of its geo-hazard condition.”
Cliffside structure
The Boracay West Cove has reportedly built permanent structures along the cliffs lining the shores of the island, prompting several groups to file complaints.
The Boracay Foundation Inc., led by Loubelle Cann, said that the Flag-T was only a tenurial title that allowed possession of the land, but did not exempt the landowner from following municipal ordinances regarding building and construction of facilities on no-build zones.
Officials of the town of Malay, which covers Boracay, also objected to the signing of Flag-T, prompting Aklan Rep. Florencio T. Miraflores to ask the House of Representatives committees on natural resources and on ecology to launch an investigation.
In putting itself athwart the recently signed Forest Land Use Agreement for Tourism Proposes (Flag-T) between the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Boracay Island West Cove Resort in Boracay, the Department of Tourism sided with local authorities that govern Boracay, who said the site sat on dangerous ground.
Flag-T granted a renewable 25-year lease to the Boracay West Cove Resort to a site located at Sitio Diniwid in Barangay Balabag, one of the three barangays (villages) on Boracay Island.
“The Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) for Boracay Island, adopted by the municipal government, indicates that the island is prone to geologic hazard where any development should be preceded by a thorough geotechnical study of the project site,” Durano said in a statement.
Pacquiao resort?
The deal has raised eyebrows from its inception because the owner of the resort, businessman Crisostomo Aquino, is known to be a close friend of Atienza and boxing icon Manny Pacquiao. Speculation has placed Pacquiao as the real owner of the place.
Durano contended that the planned resort included areas that were in no-build zones, as surveyed in the CLUP.
“The construction of the said resort facility along the line of cliffs in Sitio Diniwid has obviously not taken into consideration the threat imposed by geo-hazard conditions of the area. The resort was built very close to the cliff and on top of fallen boulders of cliffs which comprise an unstable structure,” he said.
Atienza for his part said yesterday that Durano should “stick to tourism” when sought for comment.
‘Stick to tourism’
“He should just stick to tourism issues and I’ll stick to environmental concerns,” Atienza told the Inquirer by phone.
Atienza added that he did not want to get into a fight with anyone more so in this matter since he had already resigned as environment chief to concentrate on his bid to reclaim the top seat in Manila in 2010. (See related story below)
Durano’s statement quoted architect Maria Lisa Santos, CLUP land-use specialist, as agreeing with Durano’s observation. Santos said, “We have determined Sitio Diniwid to be an area where only nonpermanent structures may be built because of its geo-hazard condition.”
Cliffside structure
The Boracay West Cove has reportedly built permanent structures along the cliffs lining the shores of the island, prompting several groups to file complaints.
The Boracay Foundation Inc., led by Loubelle Cann, said that the Flag-T was only a tenurial title that allowed possession of the land, but did not exempt the landowner from following municipal ordinances regarding building and construction of facilities on no-build zones.
Officials of the town of Malay, which covers Boracay, also objected to the signing of Flag-T, prompting Aklan Rep. Florencio T. Miraflores to ask the House of Representatives committees on natural resources and on ecology to launch an investigation.
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