Staff reporter
LAOAG CITY—The Department of
Environment and Natural Resources issued a final demand to Pagudpud resort
owners to voluntary demolish cottages and other structures built on the
foreshore area surrounding the “Blue Lagoon,” a favorite tourist destination at
Brgy. Balaoi in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.
The foreshore is a portion of
the beach which spans 20 meters from the seashore. DENR Department Order No.
34, issued in 1999, states that a foreshore is “part of the shore which is
alternately covered and uncovered by the ebb and flow of the tide.”
In a letter sent to at least
five resort owners, Atty. Mae Jean Pedro, DENR Community Environment and
Natural Resources based in Barangay Manayon, Bangui, Ilocos Norte legal
consultant said that “(O)ccupying the legal easement of the 20-meter salvage
zone is in violation of Article 51 of the Water Code of the Philippines
(Presidential Decree 1067).
Under the law, it is
prohibited for any person to stay in this zone longer than what is necessary
for recreation, navigation, floatage, fishing or salvage, or to build structure
of any kind within the legal easements.
The DENR identified the
violators as Hannah’s Beach Resort and Convention Center owned by retired
Airforce Col. Ricardo Nolasco Jr., Classique Homestay of Ruth Magarro, Cottages
of Nelly Cristobal, May Anne Copeland and Corazon Espejo.
In the DENR letter, they
directed and demanded the owners to voluntary demolish the cottages and other
structures within 72 hours upon receipt of notice otherwise appropriate charges
will be imposed to them without prior notice.
The DENR guidebook said: “The
Philippine foreshore is one area where rapid development is taking place.”
“With progress comes the
various problems: environmental pollution, conversion of mangroves into other
uses, illegal reclamation, squatting and many more,” it said.
Comments
Post a Comment