‘Boracay land reform not feasible, spooking investors’

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte’s declaration placing the world-famous Boracay Island under agrarian reform is not feasible and scaring long-time residents and discouraging investors, senators said during an inquiry on the matter last week. 

During the hearing of the Senate committee on environment on the closure of Boracay on Wednesday, senators asked how Duterte came up with his move to put the world-famous tourist attraction under agrarian reform when it hardly has any agricultural land.

“The people, long-time residents, and investors are afraid with this (agrarian) declaration, what will happen to them? There are no agricultural lands there,” Sen. Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the committee, said during the hearing. 

Boracay is on its second month of six-month shutdown ordered by Duterte to rehabilitate the island that he called a “cesspool” caused by corruption and overdevelopment, among others.         

Villar said out of the 1,000-hectare land area of Boracay, 628 hectares are commercial areas, 189 hectares are residential lots, 39 hectares are owned or controlled by government agencies while 6.9 hectares are populated by indigenous peoples (IPs).

She said the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and other concerned agencies should just proceed with processing applications for titling of privately owned lands, especially those held by long-time residents, and the IPs.

Villar said instead of placing the entire island under agrarian reform, the government should instead declare Boracay an eco-tourism site, adding tourism would bring more revenues to more families in the area. 

Agrarian Reform Undersecretary Luis Meinrado Pangulayan said Duterte’s declaration did not come from DAR, but even so, the agency has been implementing its mandate on placing certain lands under agrarian reform. 

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, who is pushing for the creation of the multi-sectoral Boracay Island Council, said many are confused over the DAR’s position on the matter and warned putting Boracay under agrarian could create instability in the investment plans particularly for tourism.

“I don’t believe that is feasible. Can you imagine putting topsoil on areas, which will be covered by land reform? So it will be suited for agriculture? Even the representatives of the DAR disowned the undersecretary who said that. There are confusions,” Drilon said. 

Dr. Henry Chusuey, chairman of the Boracay Foundation, said since then president Ferdinand Marcos declared the island a tourist zone and marine reserve, Boracay has been a tourism area for the past 40 years.

 Chusuey also said the Supreme Court upheld then president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s Proclamation 1064 in 2008 proclaiming Boracay’s agricultural land as “alienable and disposable.” 

He said DAR found only four hectares of arable land in Boracay and these would have to be divided by many families.

“This is probably also the reason why topsoil is even needed to turn Boracay into productive agricultural farmlands,” he said.

‘Soft opening’  

Aklan Gov. Florencio Miraflores, whose province has jurisdiction over Boracay, and Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III told the hearing that they could recommend a soft opening in September if the rehabilitation speeds up pace. 

Miraflores said except for one area, the quality of water passed the tests conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources while the road widening was 80 percent complete.

He also said the local government would be able to resettle the bulk of informal settlers in Boracay to Aklan in the next two to three months.