Coron establishments given 30 days to remove illegal structures

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is giving a 30-day ultimatum to business establishments in Coron, Palawan to remove illegal structures as part of the government’s efforts to clean up tourist destinations in the country.

The DENR issued notices to vacate to 75 business establishments located in four barangays to remove and self-demolish their structures built on the waters and within the easement zones of Coron.

The notice specified provisions of the Water Code of the Philippines, which prohibit occupation of riverbanks, sea shores and lakes within a zone of three meters in urban areas and 40 meters in forest areas.

The DENR also cited the Civil Code of the Philippines, which defines shores “and others of similar character” as property of public dominion.

The Civil Code also declares as nuisance “establishment, business or condition of property, or anything else, which obstructs or interferes with the free passage of any body of water.”

Famous for its pristine beaches and landscapes, Coron receives an increasing number of tourists every year, with an estimate of 178,000 tourists recorded in 2016.

The influx of tourists prompted the proliferation of business establishments, some of which do not only encroached easement zones, but were also found to have contributed to water pollution by discharging untreated wastewater directly into Coron Bay.

This also aggravated the island’s water problem, which is mainly attributed to the town’s lack of a centralized wastewater treatment facility.

Last February, the DENR-Region 4B created the Task Force Coron to ensure enforcement of environmental laws in one of the country’s prime beach destinations.

Task Force Coron is composed of representatives from DENR and Environmental Management Bureau and coordinates with the local government of Coron and other agencies, such as Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, Department of Tourism, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard.

“We are not just looking into the issue of encroachment. We also make sure that business establishments follow the law on proper garbage disposal and anything concerning the environment,” said task force head Roman Legaspi.

The regional office of DENR warned affected businesses from people posing as DENR officials who allegedly want to extort from establishment owners.

“The DENR does not authorize anyone to deal with business owners other than members of the task force, who were tasked to lead the cleanup and rehabilitation of beaches in Coron, El Nido, and Puerto Galera,” DENR Region 4B director Natividad Bernardino said. – With Rhodina Villanueva