DENR-7: Six Mactan resorts violated easement zone rule

AT LEAST six resorts in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu were found to have violated the easement zone rule under the Presidential Decree (PD) 1067 or the Water Code of the Philippines.

Nestor Canda, the regional coordinator on the Task Force Foreshore Area Management of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas (DENR-7), said this during the AGIO forum on Tuesday.

Canda said that they would issue notice of violations to these resorts which were found to have structures encroaching the 20 meter easement zone.

“We are identifying establishments who have structures within the easement areas. And we found six in Mactan Island,” Canda said.

Canda said that these establishments should remove structures that encroach the 20-meter easement zone from the shoreline.
However, Canda did not named those resorts pending the issuance of the notice of violations.

Article 51 of PD 1067 prohibits structures within the easement zone of a seashore, river or stream.

The zone is subject to easement of public use for creation, navigation, and fishing, among others.

The distance is 20 meters for agricultural areas, three meters for urban areas, and 40 meters for forest areas.

“Hatagan ato sila’g time to correct some measures. Whatever findings and assessment sa atong team ihatag na nato sa resorts mismo,” Canda said. (We will give them time to correct some measures. Whatever findings and assessment by our team we will directly send it to the resorts.)

Canda warned that they will file a case against resorts owners who will not heed their warning like what happened in Bantayan Island eight years ago.

He said that in the first time that DENR-7 filed a case against resorts in Sta. Fe in Bantayan Island after resorts refused to voluntary demolished their structures.

Aside from Mactan Island, Canda said that they are also conducting survey in different towns in Cebu.

“Of course, atong gihimo karon gawas sa pag-continue sa atong inventory, gipa-aware sad nato every now and then ang mga resorts. Verbal and gi-notify sad nato sila,” Canda said.  (Aside from continuing our inventory, we are also reminding our resorts every now and then. We remind them verbally and notify them also.)

Right now, DENR-7 is currently conducting geotagging or profiling these resorts particularly in Dauin, Negros Oriental and some towns in Cebu like Oslob, Moalboal, and Camotes Island.

“Dugay naman ta kasugod sa Bantayan (we have been conducting this in Bantayan Island) and we are just continuing it,” Canda said.

DENR-7 already issued notice of violation to 87 establishments in Pangao Island in Bohol that encroached the easement zone.