Illegal structures at Iloilo River face demolition
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Regional Office No. 6 warns proponents of illegal structures in the Iloilo River waterways to stop their activities or else they will face demolition and legal sanctions. This warning is issued in the wake of reports received by the DENR Region VI that some institutions or private persons are again doing a gradual reclamation of the portions of Iloilo River.
RED Julian D. Amador had already sent investigation teams and confirmed that there are some illegal structures that are being constructed without the proper documents and without the necessary permits. RED Amador said that DENR 6 will strictly enforce the law in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways who have the sole jurisdiction of waterways and the City Engineers Office who issues permits to construct buildings in the city.
RED Amador likewise stressed that the Department had already issued a moratorium on the issuance of foreshore lease along the Iloilo River and the CENRO had stopped processing applications for such. Any new construction or reclamation therefore in these areas is considered illegal.
The Iloilo River Council which was created before of which DENR is a member is updating its inventory of the occupants along both sides of the Iloilo River so that there will be a basis of whether the construction is new or not. The DENR through its CENRO Iloilo City will also conducts a survey of the areas of the occupants so that it will be able to determine whether the old occupants had widened its area through illegal reclamation. The result of this survey will determine who are the culprits and the DENR vowed to give sanctions to violators.
The Iloilo River is not really a river but a part of the sea, thus it is included under the Foreshore Laws of the Philippines. Under the law, the foreshore must provide an easement of 25 meters from the area reached by the highest tide. At present, this area could not be determined anymore especially along the lines from MIWD office up to the Diversion Bridge thus the Iloilo River Council made an inventory of the titled properties along the banks of the river as a database.
"We are warning all those violators," says RED Amador. "This time we mean business. We will not allow you to destroy the natural resources that our people in Iloilo had protected, rehabilitated, and maintained. This is our only heritage so we implore to all those who are guilty to stop their illegal activities."
(rac/DENR).