ILOILO City – The demolition of houses illegally built on Boracay Island’s wetlands have been going on since April but according to a group of displaced families and workers the government has yet to fulfill what it promised them: a relocation area.
“Next month Boracay would reopen after six months of rehabilitation. Asta subong wala sang kasiguraduhan nga may relocation,” said Olive Abañera, spokesperson of the alliance called We are Boracay.
Abañera’s group claimed the demolition supervised by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has already displaced around 400 households and establishments in three barangays (Balabag, Manoc-Manoc and Yapak).
In ordering Boracay’s closure and rehabilitation, President Rodrigo Duterte noted that only four out of nine wetlands in the island remained due to the encroachment of illegal structures.
The structures included 937 illegally constructed on forestlands and wetlands, as well as 102 erected on areas already classified as easements.
On April 27, a day after the island was officially closed to tourism activities, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced that no one in the informal sector in Boracay would be evicted from their abodes without having a place where to relocate.
“Wala pong ma-e-evict nang walang relocation,” announced DSWD officer-in-charge Emmanuel Leyco five months ago.
But according to Abañera, this was not true. She cited the demolition of around 26 households in Talipapa Bukid, one of the wetland areas in Barangay Balabag.
The displaced families temporarily stayed in the houses of relatives or friends, said Abañera.
One resident of Talipapa Bukid, Jhay Atienza, tried calling the government’s attention through an email sent to Malacañang’s Presidential Complaint Center (PCC).
Part of Atienza’s email read: “Sir, giniba na po ang mga bahay namin pero walang relocation o cash assistance na sinasabi ni DENR Sec. Roy Cimatu…sana man lang may tulong na ibigay kasi ang hirap na po ng sitwasyon namin.”
Atienza further wrote: “Handa naman po kaming sumunod sa gusto ng gobyerno pero sana naman po ‘wag kami iwan sa ere ng basta basta. Maawa naman kayo. Hindi kami tulad ng mga naglalakihang hotel na may pera.”
According to Abañera, PCC forwarded Atienza’s email to Cimatu.
The DENR secretary has yet to respond to the mail.
“Kailangan naming mahihirap nang malilipatan, lalo na may mga anak kaming nag-aaral. Sana ang relocation site is sa Boracay mismo para malapit sa workplace naming mag-asawa,” said Mary Ann Gatacelo, another displaced Boracay resident.
Gatacelo, a resident of Boracay for 15 years already, is a massage therapist. Her husband is a photographer.
According to Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Panay secretary general Elmer Forro, the government appeared to be lying.
“Sa umpisa pa lang ginpangako gid ni Cimatu nga no relocation, no demolition. Subong napamatud-an nga puro ini kabutigan,” said Forro.
Meanwhile, Bayan Muna party-list’s Cong. Carlos Isagani Zarate criticized the “sore lack of a detailed and comprehensive action plan” for the top tourism destination island.
“We care for the environment, the trees, the fishes, the turtles and other life forms, but we must first and foremost take care of the people, the poor masses especially. They should not be swept out in the rehabilitation and improvement of Boracay. The people are an integral part of the island,” stressed Zarate.
The congressman agreed that Boracay neededs rehabilitation. For many years, even decades, the urbanization of the island into a so-called world-renowned tourist destination has posed environmental concerns, he said.
“However, the people and the Boracay community are not the enemy,” said Zarate. “Indeed, they are part and parcel to the solution in keeping Boracay the prime tourist hub that it is.”
He noted the lack of representation from the affected local residents in the rehabilitation task force.
“Boracay is not just an island but a community of workers, indigenous peoples, performers, vendors and other people living off the commerce in the island. Practically, there are no agricultural lands here. For most part, the island has been portioned off by big landowners as hotels, restaurants, and leisure parks,” said Zarate./PN
