Supreme Court asked: Stop Boracay reclamation project

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC) was asked yesterday to stop a P1-billion reclamation project covering the 40-hectare coastline of world-renowned Boracay Island and nearby Caticlan town in Aklan.

In a petition, the Boracay Foundation Inc. asked the SC to issue a temporary environmental protection order enjoining the provincial capitol and other implementing agencies from proceeding with the project.

The petitioners, including over 60 resort, hotel and restaurant owners as well as community organizations and environmental advocates, questioned the implementation of the project which started in December last year due to a purported lack of a comprehensive environmental impact assessment and public hearings.

Named respondents were the Aklan provincial government represented by Gov. Carlito Marquez, the Philippine Reclamation Authority, and the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (EMB-DENR).

Through lawyers led by Joel Ruiz Butuyan, the BFI questioned why the provincial government was able to secure an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) for the project despite the lack of required local clearances and permits from Barangay Caticlan and the Malay municipality.

The BFI said the reclamation project does not comply with the requirements for a full environmental impact assessment.

It noted that based on relevant law and regulations, any reclamation project involving so-called “co-located” projects are subject to “programmatic” impact assessment studies, which the provincial government allegedly failed to perform.

The BFI added that the DENR-EMB also ignored clear indications that the reclamation project would have significant environmental impact on Boracay.

“It is impossible for respondent DENR-EMB not to be aware of the fragile ecological balance which creates the condition for Boracay’s white-sand beaches,” the petition stated.

The BFI said the reclamation project is being carried out despite strong objections from local officials, particularly of Malay town and Barangay Caticlan.

Last Dec. 6, the Aklan provincial government started implementing Phase 1 of the reclamation project, which is located on the Caticlan side.

It was purportedly presented as mere “rehabilitation” of the existing jetty port, the gateway from mainland Aklan to Boracay, which is separated only by a narrow strait.

Phase 2 of the project covers 3.18 hectares in Boracay.