Let’s protect and clean our easement zones

There are laws that everyone seems to know about, yet almost nobody bothers to obey — until the floods come, homes disappear under water, and the same officials who ignored these laws suddenly blame “climate change.” One of the most violated laws is the protection of easement zones along our rivers, streams, lakes, and shorelines.

Maybe it’s less of a problem along beaches, where resorts at least pretend to follow regulations. But in riverbanks? In creeks? In small tributaries that nobody pays attention to? There, the violations are massive — and endlessly tolerated.

The law is clear. Article 51 of Presidential Decree 1067 (Water Code of the Philippines) strictly prohibits building any structure within the easement zones: 3 meters in urban areas, 20 meters in agricultural areas, and 40 meters in forest areas. These spaces are meant for public use: for fishing, navigation, safety, and environmental protection. No one is supposed to occupy these zones, much less privatize them with concrete houses, fences, resorts, or factories.

And yet, why do the violations persist?

I don’t want to make a sweeping statement, but many LGUs make it too easy to issue building permits to violators—especially if the applicants are their friends, or if envelopes quietly exchange hands. Some local officials ignore the law, look away, or pretend these easements do not exist. But ignoring the law won’t stop the next flood.

Is it too late to enforce the rules? Too late to correct decades of wrong decisions?

It shouldn’t be. After so many tragedies — Ondoy, Ulysses, Paeng, Agaton, Odette — the reasons to clear our easements are not just obvious; they are urgent. Every blocked waterway becomes a disaster multiplier.

But clearing easements should never be reckless. Families living along these zones must be treated with dignity. They must be properly compensated and relocated, not merely pushed aside. Enforcement cannot be heartless; it must be humane. In the end, this is about balancing the interests of the greater majority with the rights of those who will be displaced.

Why do easement zones matter so much?

Because they are natural buffers. They prevent erosion. They absorb floodwaters. They protect mangroves and fish habitats. They preserve public access to our waterways. They are our last defenses against storm surges and overflowing rivers.

Environmental governance advocate Stefan Steiner put it perfectly:

“Shorelines must be protected from grabbing or settlements. There is a Philippine law protecting the distance in the shorelines, rivers, streams, etc. This law must be known to all Filipino citizens so they can police their own area. The State is the owner and should not allow privatization. It’s free to enjoy and protect but not to destroy. LGUs must protect their area with strict regulations to conserve our environment. The population is explosive and must be regulated or else chaos awaits the next generations. Let us help one another to protect our ecosystem.”

He is right. And yet, public awareness is shockingly low. Ask people what the easement distance is in their barangay, and most will shrug. Many do not even know that riverbanks are public property.

So here is a simple proposal: every LGU should conduct barangay-level easement mapping and cleanup, install permanent markers indicating easement boundaries, and educate residents on why these zones exist. Combine this with community river stewardship programs, mangrove rehabilitation, and strict, non-negotiable enforcement.

Protecting easement zones is not just a legal requirement — it is an act of survival. The more we narrow our rivers, the more our future narrows with them.

Let’s clean them. Let’s restore them. And most of all, let’s protect them—before the next flood reminds us, once again, of the cost of our negligence.