PRRD insists to declare ‘entire’ Boracay as land reform area

“I do not mean to lord it over but as I have promised, I will declare the entire island a land reform area,” Duterte said in a speech during the signing of the Ease of Doing Business Act in Malacañang. (ACE MORANDANTE/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

MANILA — President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Monday reiterated his plan to declare the “entire” Boracay Island as land reform area after its ongoing rehabilitation.

“I do not mean to lord it over but as I have promised, I will declare the entire island a land reform area,” Duterte said in a speech during the signing of the Ease of Doing Business Act in Malacañang.

Duterte said only the coastal area would be used by tourists while the land area would be given back to the natives of the world-famous resort island.

“I will leave that option to you to preserve the coastal area. I have no interest any interest there. I will just convey to you now that my predilection, if you want to call it, is to declare it a land reform area,” he said.

The President said he has no idea why Boracay became commercial when in fact, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed a proclamation in 2006, classifying the island into forest land and agricultural land. In 2008, the Supreme Court upheld Arroyo’s proclamation, saying the petition had no legal basis to say that private entity can own land in Boracay.

“I have no idea why that part became commercial. I will leave it up to you decide. I said, carve out a few meters from the coastal. The (sea) waters, I will not touch on that,” he said.

Duterte has directed the Department of Agrarian Reform to start working on his plan to declare the island a land reform area.

The inter-agency task force has started the cleanup and rehabilitation of the 1,028-hectare island.

Early this year, Duterte described Boracay as a “cesspool” due to its sewage and garbage problem, prompting him to order a six-month closure to rehabilitate the island which started last April 26.