Construction freeze on Boracay lifted
Written by Nestor P. Burgos Jr., Philippine Daily Inquirer Thursday, 16 October 2008 07:37
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ILOILO CITY, Philippines—Officials governing Boracay Island have ordered the lifting of a moratorium on new construction projects on the already congested island-resort.
In a resolution unanimously passed by the Malay municipal council last October 6, the officials directed the lifting of the moratorium passed on October 24, 2007 and implemented starting January 2, 2008.
Councilor Rowen Aguirre, chair of the council's committee on rules and ordinances, said the council decided to lift the moratorium after the Department of Tourism (DOT) finalized the draft of the Boracay Comprehensive Land Use Plan and after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) also finalized an environmental master plan for the island.
Aguirre said the lifting of the moratorium would take effect after the issuance by Malay Mayor Ciceron Cawaling of an implementing order.
The six-month moratorium was supposed to end on July 2 but was extended by three months, he said.
“We already have a comprehensive framework for further developing the island so we can continue the development projects,” Aguirre told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a telephone interview on Tuesday.
He said they lifted the moratorium because the construction of schools and other public infrastructure were also stalled.
The moratorium was implemented after the DENR called on stakeholders to put in order development projects on the island due to environmental and pollution risks brought about by the unhampered construction of resorts, hotels and structures. It prohibited the construction of new structures for commercial and residential use like hotels, resorts, malls and apartments.
Aguirre said applicants for building permits would be required to abide by conditions, including the expropriation of portions of their properties if required by the government for public works projects.
Also, the municipal government would not issue building and construction permits for critical areas like wetlands and other no-build zones.
The DENR earlier sued Cawaling and a property developer of violating Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) R.A. 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Government Officials and Employees) and Executive Order 92 (Administrative Code of 1987) for failing to immediately implement the moratorium.
The agency alleged that Cawaling and the municipal government gave undue advantage to the developer J. King and Sons in issuing building, electrical, sanitary and plumbing permits despite a moratorium on construction projects on the island.
The construction boom on the island has been boosted by the steady increase of tourist arrivals on the island.
In 2007, tourist arrivals reached 596,707 (208,870 foreign and 359,433 domestic) and tourism earnings ballooned to P10.969 billion because of the continued upswing of the number of visitors.
