More than 160 establishments encroaching the coastal easement in Coron and El Nido towns are facing the possibility of demolition for failure to comply with environment laws, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said.
DENR issued Notices to Vacate to a total of 242 establishments in the two towns for violating Presidential Decree 705 or Reformed Forestry Code of the Philippines and Presidential Decree 1067 or Water Code of the Philippines.
Of the 242, the 167 are located in El Nido while 75 in Coron. Of the 167 establishments in El Nido, 75 already removed and demolished portions of their building that encroached the three-meter coastal easement. In Coron however, not a single establishment complied with the Notice to Vacate and failed to do voluntary or self-demolition.
The Water Code the Philippines specifically provides that the banks of rivers and streams and the shores of the seas and lakes throughout the entire length and within a zone of three (3) meters in urban areas, twenty (20) meters in agricultural areas and forty (40) meters in forest areas, along their margins are subject to the easement of public use in the interest of recreation, navigation, floatage, fishing and salvage.
The DENR reminded that these areas should be free from any construction being within the no-build zone. They warned anew that they will push through the demolition anytime soon against these erring establishments since the Notice to Vacate was issued last year.
“Lumampas na po ang Notice to Vacate na ini-issue (ng DENR) dahil 2018 pa yan. Ang susunod na aksyon ay magkakaroon ‘yan ng demolition,” said DENR Assistant Regional Director Vicente Tuddao.
The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in El Nido said that their office, together with the municipal government demolished last year portions of the 32 establishments that encroached the three-meter coastal easement.
Governor Jose C. Alvarez expressed his support and commitment to the enforcement of the Notice to Vacate during the recent interagency meeting together with the different national agencies.
“Nagpahayag ng pagsuporta si Gob. Jose Ch. Alvarez sa naturang inisyatibo sa pamamagitan ng pagpapahiram ng mga trucks na magagamit sa isasagawang demolisyon sa isinasagawang interagency meeting. Ang pagpupulong ay naglalayong ma-update ang status ng clean up drive at pagsunod ng dalawang munisipyo sa mga batas at polisiya na may kaugnayan sa kalikasan,” Palawan Provincial Information Office said.
The clean-up drive in El Nido and Coron is in compliance with the marching order of President Rodrigo Duterte for the clean-up of the country’s prime tourist destinations.