Ati families in Boracay no longer ‘homeless”

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

The dream of owning a piece of land in Boracay Island had been realized for Boracay Ati Tribal Organization (BATO). 

photo   Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)

Thanks   in part to President Rodrigo Duterte and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). The Ati community members finally have the rights to the land in Barangay Manoc-Manoc.

BATO received six collective Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) with an area of 3.2064-hectare of agricultural lands from President Duterte.

Agrarian reform secretary John Castriciones said the 44 Ati families will be trained to maximize the benefits of the government lands to uplift their economic lives. 

Castriciones said they are also eyeing to distribute some of the recovered wetlands in Boracay to ‘Tumandoks’.

“May mga garden tools, kits and trainings din tayo  para sa productivity ng kanilang lupa,” he added.

Ati tribal chieftain Delsa Justo said most of them do not own a land and live in makeshift huts, with their men and women labouring hard for little wages. 

“Kami na Ati na katutubo sa isla ay lubos ang aming kasiyahan sapagkat dininig ng Diyos ang aming matagal na panalangin na sana ay dumating ang panahon na maibalik at maiayos ang Boracay na unti unting nasisira,” Justo said.  

 “Sa anim na buwan na pagsasara ng Boracay, ito ay  naging daan upang mamulat kami sa aming pagkukulang dahil sa walang humpay na pagsira at pag-abuso sa ating kalikasan. Hindi matumbasan ng pera ang kalikasan na siyang nagbibigay kanlungan sa aming lahat.” 

“Tunay na napakasuwerte ang Boracaynon sapagkat lahat ng ahensiya ng gobyerno ay nagkaisa upang maisalba ang isla at muling manumbalik ang dating ganda at kaayusan ng Boracay dahil sa pamumuno na ating matapang at mapagmahal na Pangulong Duterte.”

On November 8, Duterte also led the distribution of 623 CLOA for 274.03 hectares of land in the province of Aklan for 484 agrarian reform beneficiaries.   

Farmer beneficiaries of Barangay Kabulihan and Nabaoy in mainland Malay also received 33 CLOAs for 30.2704 hectares.

Fifty certificates of land ownership for 56.3245 hectares were also distributed in the barangays of Nazareth, Tigum, Habana and Tag-osip in Buruanga and  534 CLOAs in Barangay Tagas in Tangalan  for 185.7224 hectares.