Town exec finally implements moratorium on new constructions in Boracay
Local officials governing Boracay Island have finally implemented a moratorium on new construction projects, five months after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) had issued the moratorium call.
Mayor Ciceron Cawaling of Malay town, where Boracay is located, issued a memorandum dated January 2, 2008 implementing a resolution of the municipal council declaring a six-month moratorium on the issuance of permits for new construction projects.
The moratorium covers from January 2 to July 2, 2008, according to municipal councilor Rowen Aguirre, chair of the council's committee on laws and regulations.
The one-page memorandum directed the municipal engineer and the zoning administrator to abide by the resolution. Copies were furnished to DENR Secretary Lito Atienza and other officials and agencies.
In its resolution, the municipal council imposed a six-month prohibition on construction of new structures for commercial and residential use like hotels, resorts, malls and apartments. The ban also covers new boarding houses or renovation/expansion of existing ones.
Major repairs of existing structures or those involving at least 50 percent of buildings are also prohibited.
The moratorium also covers renovation/expansion of structures within 10 meters from the edge of the pavement of the Boracay main road stretching from the villages of Manoc-Manoc to Yapak. The local government unit will also not grant any permit to "non-tourism related businesses like junk shops, fuel retail business, appliance caravans, motor vehicle repair shops, ukay-ukay (used clothing) stores seacraft fabrication and repair shops."
The ban excludes government construction projects related to public utilities that have complied with procedures, laws and ordinances.
Atienza last week had warned the local government officials that they must enforce the moratorium on the construction of structures or face administrative sanctions.
He had singled out Cawaling for ignoring the moratorium imposed by the DENR in August last year and a resolution passed by the municipal council backing the move.
The two-page Sangguniang Bayan Resolution No. 042 entitled "Resolution Calling for a Moratorium on the Issuance of Permits to New Construction of Structures/Buildings for Commercial/Residential Purposes on Boracay Island for Six Months" was enacted enacted on September 26 and approved during the council's regular session on October 24, 2007.
When asked why the resolution took two months to be passed and another three months to implement since the DENR issued the call, Aguirre said they had to consult and coordinate with national government agencies including the DENR, Department of Tourism and affected LGUs on the provisions of the moratorium.
Cawaling could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Each week, the municipal council receives from five to six applications for building permits on the island, according to resort owner Orlando Sacay in an earlier interview. He said there is also a need to control migration to the island that has been promoted by business and employment opportunities.
The council said in its resolution that the moratorium is needed to preserve the pristine environment of Boracay and protect it from degradation amid the heavy influx of construction.
It will also give time for a new Boracay Master Development Plan being formulated by the DENR. The plan hopes to ensure the protection and sustainable utilization of the island's resources.
Atienza had said in an earlier interview that the moratorium is needed to restore order to the otherwise uncontrolled construction and introduction of new edifices and stop the over-stretching of the facilities especially the sewerage, water, drainage and power systems..
A moratorium on development projects in Boracay was also proposed by Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano in 2005.
Durano had said that the country's premier tourist destination is in danger of being lost unless the problems of overpopulation, garbage disposal and proper construction are addressed.
Government agencies and stakeholders of the island drafted the Boracay Master Development Plan in 1991 but this has not been implemented despite undergoing revisions.
The construction boom on the island has been boosted by the steady increase of tourist arrivals on the island.
Tourist arrivals in 2006 reached 554,181 which is 10. 96 percent higher than 499,457 arrivals recorded in 2005, according to data from the regional office of the Department of Tourism.
Boracay's income from tourism reached P10.18 billion in 2006 or 24.44 percent higher than the P8.18 billion earnings in 2005.