SC lifts suspension of Aklan reclamation
ILOILO CITY—The Supreme Court has lifted a three-year suspension of a controversial reclamation project in the jump-off point to Boracay Island.
In a resolution issued on June 3 and received by the provincial legal office of Aklan on July 23, the high court granted the petition of the provincial government to lift the temporary environmental protection order (Tepo), which is similar to a temporary restraining order.
The high court issued the Tepo on June 7, 2011, and converted it to a writ of continuing mandamus on June 26, 2012.
In its resolution, the high court said the Tepo was lifted as there was no opposition to the implementation of the reclamation project covering 2.6 hectares along the coast of Barangay (village) Caticlan in Malay town.
The order effectively allows the provincial government to implement the project, which involves the expansion of the existing Caticlan jetty port facilities, the reclamation of coastline areas and the building of commercial buildings to house offices, a health and wellness center and other businesses.
The project is funded by a P260-million loan payable in 20 years.
It was designed to be part of a planned P1.3-billion project in a 40-ha reclamation area approved by the Philippine Reclamation Authority. This includes 36.82 ha in Caticlan and 3.18 ha in Boracay.
The provincial government said the project was necessary to accommodate the rapidly increasing number of tourists going to Boracay and the growing number of roll-on, roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessels moving cargo and passengers to Boracay and northern Panay.
But Boracay Foundation Inc. (BFI), a group of business operators in Boracay, had opposed the project for environmental and safety concerns and lack of consultation.
The group had pointed out that while the provincial government announced that the project would cover only 2.64 ha in Caticlan, it had signed a memorandum of agreement with the PRA on May 17, 2010, for the reclamation of 36.82 ha in Caticlan and 3.18 ha in Boracay, or a total of 40 ha.
