House approves lifting of Camotes forest reserve tag

CEBU, Philippines —  The bill that seeks to lift the forest reserve declaration of Camotes Island is nearing to become a law.

House Bill No. 4785 is now in the Senate after it was approved on its third and final reading by the House of Representatives on August 25, 2020.

“Sulod lang na sa usa ka tuig, ako nang nabuhat, na-approved na na sa Kongreso niadtong Martes, gi-forward na na sa Senado and hopefully within the next two years mahimo na nang balaud,” said Fifth District Representative Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco who authored the bill.

Frasco is hopeful that the bill would be passed into law within the next two years so that lands in Camotes Island can be titled and the residents can exercise their rights as land owners once the dry lands will be classified as alienable and disposable.

“What does it mean? Once nga makapa-title na ta sa atong mga yuta diri sa Camotes, that means there gonna be more income, more investment, daghan na ang mobubo og mga pundo ngari sa atoang Camotes kay kampanti naman sila sa yuta nga ilang tukuran og development,” Frasco said during the August 29 awarding of SUGBUsog provincial, district and municipal winners in Poro town in Camotes.

In 1981, then President Ferdinand Marcos signed Presidential Proclamation No. 2152 declaring the islands of Poro, Ponson, and Pacijan (Camotes Islands) as part of the Mangrove Swamps Forest Reserves.

Meanwhile, Frasco has asked permission from Governor Gwendolyn Garcia for additional funding for the airport construction in the island.

“Nananghid ko’s gobernador nga kun pwede mangayo ko’g puno nga budget didto sa national kay part sa atong Bayanihan 2 nga gipasar sa Kongreso is allocation para sa atoang tourism infrastructure projects diri sa atoang nasud,” he said.

Frasco said that while there are few tourists in the province especially in Camotes Island, this would be the right timing to develop, rehabilitate and create more projects to help boost the tourism industry.  GMR (FREEMAN)