BORACAY – There are 859 individuals illegally occupying the wetlands in this world-famous island, based on the final inventory of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
These informal settlers occupy 268 hectares scattered in three Boracay villages – Balabag, Manoc-Manoc and Yapak – or 27 percent of the island’s total land area.
DENR secretary Roy Cimatu said they already issued 341 notices to vacate to illegal settlers in the areas.
They did these during the monitoring, Cimatu added.
The DENR identified nine wetlands in Boracay, eight of these are located within forestlands.
Cimatu said the DENR prioritizes the recovery of Wetland No. 6 in Barangay Manoc-Manoc, which houses 85 informal settlers.
Before the island closed off to tourists on April 26, the DENR vowed to remove all illegal structures and evict illegal occupants in the wetlands and forestlands.
But the eviction was suspended pending the informal settlers’ relocation.
“The illegal occupants in Wetland No. 6 are mostly boarders – they are not from Boracay,” said Cimatu. “[They] will be temporary relocated in evacuation centers of Malay and in Caticlan.”
The DENR also identified 308 occupants in the easement zone of the island.
In addition, it issued 206 show-cause orders to establishments violating the environmental laws. (With Aklan Forum Journal/PN)
