40 establishments on Panglao Is. told: Demolish structures in easement zone

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has ordered 40 establishments on Panglao Island, found to be violating the easement zone law, to destroy structures they built on the zone within six months. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

AT LEAST 40 establishments on Panglao Island in Bohol were given six-months by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas (DENR-7) to demolish the structures they built on the island’s easement zone.

The DENR-7 gave the order to these establishments after the environment agency confirmed that these establishments violated the easement zone under the Presidential Decree 1067 or the Philippine Water Code.

First option

“First option for them is to self demolish. They are given a period to self demolish or do the voluntary demolition on their structures (themselves),” said DENR-7 Director Gilbert Gonzales.

The DENR last month recorded 87 establishments violated the easement zone in the barangays of Tawala, Bolod, Libaong and Danao in Panglao town, and Bingag in Dauis town.

But in their final inspection in February, Gonzales said that only 44 of these establishments in Panglao were confirmed to have violated the prescribed easement zone.

3 meters

“They are only allowed before the easement zone (to build their structures). For Panglao they have the three-meter easement zone. Actually they also have a local ordinance which extended it to 10 meters,” Gonzales said.

He said that all permanent structures within the easement zone should be removed by the establishments.

The establishments are only given up to six months to demolish their permanent structures within the zone.

“If they don’t do that (voluntarily demolish their structures) we have legal options. We will be filing to the court if they do not do it,” Gonzales said.

Mactan Island

In Cebu specifically on Mactan Island, Gonzales said that they had not yet finished doing their inventory.

“We will find out next week. Since we are still finalizing the inventory within the week,” Gonzales added.

Aside from Mactan Island, Gonzales said that they also notified other local government units (LGUs) in the province.

He said that even if they have not fully started yet the inventory of other towns, the LGUs already started their own action for these illegal structures.

“Nakikita natin na nagsasarili na sila like Moalboal, Oslob, Bantayan, and Camotes (We noticed that the local government units are making their own efforts to clean their seawaters like Moalboal, Oslob, Bantayan and Camotes),” said Gonzales.