Boracay title holders not covered by SC ruling—Atienza
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has assured property owners with land titles on Boracay Island that their lots will not be affected by the recent Supreme Court ruling declaring the island as government property.
"Title holders are not covered by the Supreme Court ruling and we will respect that," DENR Secretary Jose "Lito" Atienza said in a telephone interview Monday.
Atienza made the statement after Boracay land occupants and property owners raised apprehensions on the future of their investments after the Supreme Court declared that land occupants in Boracay have not acquired vested rights.
The High Court in its decision on October 8 also upheld Presidential Proclamation 1064, issued by President Macapagal-Arroyo on May 22, 2006, which categorized more than half of the 1,000-hectare island as alienable and disposable.
"We will be very careful not to cause serious economic dislocation to occupants who have developed their properties legitimately," said Atienza. This include most areas along the famous white beach.
But he said claimants who have been occupying areas categorized as forest lands, wetlands and no-build zones "have something to worry about."
Atienza welcomed the ruling saying it would provide government better control over development projects on the island which is already suffering from unregulated construction of structures.
"We want to correct injustice on the part of everyone. We also want to legalize the tenure of ownership of legitimate investors," he said.
Atienza said that he is scheduled to meet with stakeholders in Boracay to discuss the impact of the court ruling and how the DENR will proceed with the titling of lots.
The Boracay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI-Boracay) yesterday welcomed the ruling saying it opened areas categorized as alienable and disposable to titling.
"The Supreme Court has recognized the right of these land owners to apply for the titling of their properties in accordance with the existing laws," the group said in an e-mailed statement.