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Sunday, January 05, 2003
Lifting of wilderness tag gets DENR endorsement
By Liberty A. Pinili
THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has endorsed the lifting of the presidential proclamation declaring the islands of Bantayan, Cebu as protected wilderness.
But DENR 7 Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services Isabelo Montejo said islets belonging to Bantayan, mangrove areas and the coasts around the main island will remain as protected wilderness.
Montejo said about 1,000 hectares in Bantayan will remain protected, while the rest will become alienable and disposable if the bill sponsored by Rep. Clavel Asas-Martinez (Cebu, 4th district) will be passed into law.
Bantayan local officials have been seeking the lifting of Presidential Proclamation 2151, issued by then president Ferdinand Marcos.
The proclamation made it impossible legally for private persons to own land in Bantayan.
As protected wilderness, the Bantayan group of islands could not be developed for industrial, commercial, tourism and residential purposes.
However, the main island of Bantayan, known for its white sandy beaches, has been developed mostly for tourism.
Montejo said if the presidential proclamation is lifted, the land classification maps of Bantayan, drafted and approved prior to Marcos’ order, will be implemented.
For instance, most of Bantayan mainland, according to its land classification map drafted in 1973, will be alienable and disposable or can be privately owned.
Montejo said the DENR 7 had studied which parts of Bantayan islands should remain protected.
Aside from the islets, tidal flats, mangrove areas and the 20-meter stretch—along the shore—around the main island will remain protected wilderness.
The DENR 7 has also prepared a study on Camotes islands, and which portions should remain swamp and forest reserve.
Marcos had issued a proclamation declaring Camotes islands as swamp and forest reserve.
Montejo said the DENR study proposed that mangrove areas and tidal flats of Camotes will remain as swamp and forest (mangrove) reserve.
Parts of Camotes that have been covered by land classification maps and classified as alienable and disposable were recommended to be removed from the presidential proclamation.
However, portions of Camotes that have not been classified before the presidential proclamation will remain forest reserve, said Montejo.
He pointed out that most of Pilar is unclassified,
although the main town is alienable and disposable.
(January 5, 2003 issue)
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