Duterte wants Boracay land titles reviewed

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte wants to conduct a review of the land titles given to select individuals in Boracay a few months after he ordered the closure of the island.

In a speech during the inauguration of Vista Mall in Oton, Iloilo the other day, Duterte said he wants proper agencies to review the titled lands because the entire island was supposed to be classified as an agricultural area.

As this developed, Filipino scientists and experts expressed opposition to the plan to place Boracay under the agrarian reform program.

Laura David, a physical oceanographer and professor at the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute, raised concerns over the potential impact of the government’s plan to convert 845 hectares of the island for agriculture, saying converting existing forests and wetlands with the dominantly practiced monocrop planting system would only aggravate the critical condition of a small island ecosystem such as Boracay.

Duterte said the government should be allowed to rehabilitate the area and to implement reforms despite the losses brought about by the closure order.

“It’s dirty. Allow government to introduce reforms. We will not get anything…not even a bucket of sand, white sand. I have no interest there. I did not promise to give anything to anyone,” he said.

Duterte went on to say the government will respect owners who have “authentic” titles. 

He also urged the developers and commercial occupants in the island to lead in ensuring that proper sanitary and waste measures are implemented to preserve the beauty of Boracay. 

Duterte lamented that some irregularities in land titling may have happened during the past administrations.

“The DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) is noted for corruption also. So that’s what happened,” he said. –  With Rhodina Villanueva

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