Boracay land survey now ongoing
BORACAY ISLAND, Aklan — The occupants and claimants of land on Boracay may have their prized property titled soon after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources on Friday announced the start of a cadastral survey of the island.
In a meeting with business owners and property claimants here Friday night, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Jose “Lito” Atienza Jr. said the survey, which would identify property lines, would be the basis for the issuance of titles for areas classified as alienable and disposable.
The field survey which will start today and cover the whole 1,032-hectare island is expected to be completed within five months.
Only about a third of the land on Boracay has titles while the rest is occupied through tax declarations after the island resort was declared government property.
Atienza said the survey was in line with a Supreme Court ruling on land ownership on the island.
In its ruling issued on Oct. 8, 2008, the Supreme Court affirmed Proclamation 1064 issued by President Macapagal-Arroyo on May 22, 2006 which classified 628.96 hectares or 60.94 percent of the 1,032-hectare island as alienable and disposable on the premise that the whole of Boracay was government property.
The proclamation also provides for a 15-meter buffer zone on each side of the center line of roads and trails, which are reserved for right of way and which shall form part of the area reserved for forest land protection purposes.
Land claimants and owners who have invested hundreds of millions of pesos for decades on the island had feared that they might lose their property to other investors because of the proclamation and Supreme Court ruling.
But in Friday’s meeting with property claimants, Atienza assured those with legitimate claims and investments that their rights would be respected.
“We want to substantially comply with the Supreme Court ruling but will ensure not to drastically affect businesses and investments,” Atienza told around 25 representatives of business owners and property claimants at a dinner meeting held at the Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel.
Atienza said titled lands would be respected in the titling of properties while those covered by tax declarations would be reviewed to check on when and how the declarations were acquired.
He also announced that the DENR has formed a new task force to handle the land titling and other concerns of Boracay.
The task force, headed by Demetrio Ignacio Jr., DENR undersecretary for policy and planning, will coordinate with an 11-member committee of Boracay stakeholders on the implementation of the survey and land titling.
The committee includes representatives of the Boracay Foundation Inc. and the Boracay Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Cebu Daily News
I have a property at Bantud Manoc manoc and I live in canada. How can I apply for a Title for my property. I bought the property the year 2000 and have only tax declaration and ever since I bought it I been paying a property tax. Any idea how can I apply for a land title. Pls can you send me some information how to apply for a land title.
Thank you very much,
Darlene Cadwallader