Thursday, April 24, 2008 So: Villains in Malapascua By Michelle P. So Caught in the Net
THERE is little fondness in the voices of many Malapascua folk when they speak of Gwen and Byron Garcia. They see them as contrabida in the biggest drama that is unfolding in the island off north Cebu.
In this island that is more popular to foreign tourists and divers than to us ordinary bisdak, beach structures that still fall within 20 meters of the easement zone stand to be demolished by the Capitol next month.
The easement zone starts from the shoreline where the highest tide breaks. This shouldn’t have been a problem if only Malapascua had a wide beachfront, the folk in the island say.
The island folk feel helpless against the Capitol powers and have turned to their patron saint, San Isidro Labrador, for succor. And so it may be some divine intercession that the demolition is being delayed for a week, from May 7 or 8 to May 15, in deference to the feast of San Isidro on May 12.
The dates, except for the Feast of San Isidro Labrador, may not be accurate because in Malapascua, the clarity of information reaching the local folk is directly opposite to the clearness of the waters surrounding the island.
As early as 2006, Gov. Gwen Garcia had warned the resort owners, pump boat operators and house owners to clear the beachfronts of kiosks, marine ropes and other forms of shore impediments. This was OK to some extent because it made walking in the beach less stressful: no ropes to trip over, no pump boats and bancas to dodge, but there was still dog shit to avoid stepping on.
The order to clear the beachfront is part of the move of Capitol to take over the eco-tourism development of Malapascua from the local government of Daanbantayan. Daanbantayan officials had been caught unprepared for the tourism growth in the small island that local folks still call Lugon.
At the helm of the initial preparation to develop Malapascua as an eco-tourism destination is the governor’s brother, Byron, who also is her consultant on security.
Unlike her sister who tries to charm her way into the hearts of her constituents, Byron, according to accounts of those who have seen him deal with island folk, puts on a manner that turns them off. His delivery of the message supplants his message.
I haven’t met Byron and have no basis to share the Malapascua’s folk’s appraisal of him.
On demolition day, if it comes, Byron is one figure Malapascua folk would like to see the least of. He probably is in their prayers.
Most of the island folk, especially those with nipa and wooden houses built along the shores, understand very little the reason behind the demolition.
They had been called to a meeting sometime back but it left them with more questions than answers. They were made to sign some papers but they didn’t know what those were for.
They had turned to their local officials for answers but the answers had not been assuring.
As of last weekend, they didn’t know the real reason for the demolition: Is it to clear the path for a circumferential road? Is it to clear the beachfronts of obstructions? Is it o pave the way for the building of a multi-million-peso resort hotel?
Whatever the reason, they don’t see the demolition of their property as an answer. That’s why they see the governor and her brother as island villains.
