Officials lift moratorium on new developments in Boracay
Officials governing Boracay Island have ordered the lifting of a moratorium on new construction projects in 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 this year.
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 the after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) had also finalized an environmental master plan for the island.
The six-month moratorium was supposed to end on July 2 but was extended by three months, said Aguirre.
"We already have a comprehensive framework on further developing the island so we can continue the development projects," Aguirre said in a telephone interview on Tuesday.
He said they have lifted the moratorium because even construction of schools and other public infrastructure were stalled.
The resolution was implemented after the DENR called on stakeholders to put order in development projects on the island due to environmental and pollution risks due to unhampered construction of resorts, hotels and structures.
The moratorium prohibited the 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.
Aguirre said the lifting of the moratorium will take effect after Malay Mayor Ciceron Cawaling issues an implementing order.
He said applicants for building permits will be required to abide by conditions including the expropriation of portions of their properties if required by the government for public works projects.
Building and construction permits will not be issued to critical areas like wetlands and other no-build zones.
The DENR had 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 to developer J. King and Sons in issuing building, electrical, sanitary and plumbing permits despite a moratorium on construction projects on the island.
DENR Secretary Jose "Lito" 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..
The construction boom on the island has been boosted by the steady increase of tourist arrivals on the island.
Tourist arrivals last year 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.