Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday declared that the island of Boracay will be used for agricultural purposes and will be awarded to poor farmers.
The president made these remarks during a long-winded speech delivered at the Bureau of Customs.
Boracay has been shut down for six months for environmental rehabilitation after the president called it a “cesspool.”
In February, the government discovered that more than 800 establishments were in violation of the Clean Water Act and the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.
Duterte said in English and Filipino: “I’m declaring land reform on the entire island of Boracay. I will discuss this with congress. The entire island will be declared as a land reform area. Let’s take it to the limit. Give it to the people.”
Duterte is referring to the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program or Republic Act No. 6657.
Promulgated in 1988, it serves to distribute lands to landless farmers and farmworkers. The law was passed to provide “equitable land ownership” in the country, where many poor farmers have to lease from more prosperous landowners.
One problem though: It remains to be seen if Boracay is an arable land, and what crops, if any, can be grown on it.
Still, Duterte said he does not want it to become a commercial area.
“I would suggest that if you want to maintain the commercial quality of that place, maybe you can cut a strip. And inland, perhaps you can provide an easement of 30 meters, but that’s it,” he said. “Behind it, well it’s commercial … but I’m telling you, Boracay is still classified as forestal and agriculture. So if you are building a house there somewhere, I’m sorry, I will just have to make some adjustments.”
Duterte also told businesses — of which there are many in the tourist destination — to speak to congress if they wish to develop the island into a commercial area.
“But I don’t want it to be declared a commercial area. I don’t want to, because if it’s a commercial area, businesses will try to compete against each other…There will be no subdivisions. I will give it to the natives.”
READ: Boracay by the numbers: 6 months, 30,000 jobs, 1 very uncertain future
The first inhabitants of Boracay island were the Ati who continue to live on Boracay but have been marginalized and face high unemployment levels, leading many members to resort to panhandling.
However, Duterte was unclear if they will be the recipients of land reform.
He also missed mentioning anything about the recent discovery of a mountain on the island being leveled and cleared.
The area was reportedly deforested to make way for an integrated resort that is allegedly owned by a Philippine senator.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer has reported that some of the island’s residents face mounting debts and hunger due to the island’s shutdown.
