The catalyst for development in Camotes Islands

Not many months ago before the May 2013 election, there was a news item published in the local newspaper about the House Bill No. 00897 principally sponsored by Congressman Ramonito "Red" Durano of the 5th district of Cebu which was reportedly endorsed to the president for approval. The said bill is titled "An Act Rationalizing the Management of the Natural Resources in the Camotes Islands, Province of Cebu, amending for the purpose Proclamation No. 2152 dated Dec. 29, 1981, entitled "Declaring the entire province of Palawan and certain parcels of the public domain and/or parts of the country as Mangrove Swamp Forest Reserves".

It can be recalled that upon learning about the pending bill of the good congressman, I was delighted to write him a letter sometime in June 2010, lauding his vision and wisdom as a responsive leader. I flaunted to him an unsolicited idea that Camotes Islands need to remove the bureaucratic grips from the seemingly offbeat restriction of land ownership because potential investors will shun from investing capital for whatever economic activity in the area due to the insecurity and fear of any unnecessary disturbance in land ownership. Such legislative fiat can be a catalyst for development in the area.        

Then Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri likewise authored the Senate version of Bill No. 2463, the "Camotes Islands Natural Resources Management Act", which sought to exclude the alienable and disposable dry lands of Camotes islands from the Mangrove Swamp Forests Reserves. The bill got the support of all the mayors of the towns in Camotes Islands during a public hearing in Danao City last September 2010.

It was disclosed during the public hearing that Camotes Islands has a total area of 20,765 hectares. Of this, 17,397 hectares are alienable and disposable dry lands, 2,518 hectares are upland timberland, 850 hectares are mangrove swamp forests and 685 hectares comprise the enchanting Danao Lake.

In a twist of event, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Protected Areas and Wildlife Division reportedly claimed that they conducted a survey which revealed that the residents of Camotes Islands are against the reclassification. The report alleged that the respondents of the survey were community leaders and barangay officials who echoed that the people thereat are inclined towards protection. The alleged survey however, was negated by the SBs and the Association of Barangay Councils in the Islands. Town mayors and barangay captains claimed that no such survey had ever been conducted in their area of responsibility.

Ever since the reported endorsement of the approved bill to the president for his imprimatur, there never was any news about the status of the bill, except for the few news accounts like the alleged letter dated Aug. 8, 2013 of Malacañang Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs Michael Aguinaldo, requesting the mayor of one of the towns in the Island for his comments and suggestions and the latter's reply backing for the approval of the bill.

The relevant statistical data showed that 83.78 percent of the lands in Camotes Islands are dry lands and therefore can be reclassified as alienable and disposable. With this as basis, good leaders have no reason to deprive a community to grow economically and level-up to the spectrum of self-reliance.

 If the House Bill No. 00897 was really submitted to the president for approval before the May 2013 election, it follows then that the Office of the President has not acted on it for more than 30 days already from receipt thereof. As such, I believe that the same is deemed approved already and therefore, became a law by the president's inaction. So why the many fuss about the law? Who are then behind this scheming scenario to abort the implementation of this law?  IS IT GOOD OR BAD FOR CAMOTES?