NO-BUILD AREA The demolition of residential and commercial buildings along Bulabog Beach on Boracay Island. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
ILOILO CITY, Iloilo, Philippines — The demolition of 10 structures allegedly encroaching on the beach easement on Boracay Island will be completed this week, according to an official of an interagency task force.
“We do not have enough personnel and we are removing concrete structures but we expect the demolition to be completed within the week,” Natividad Bernardino, general manager of the Boracay Inter-Agency Rehabilitation Management Group, told the Inquirer.
Dismantled
Bernardino said three of the 10 commercial and residential structures targeted for demolition had already been dismantled.
These include the Freestyle Academy Kite Surfing School, Lumbung Residences and a unit of 7 Stones Boracay Suites.
The demolition of parts of the Aira Hotel, Ventoso Residences, Kite Center at Banana Bay, Wind Riders Inn, Pahuwayan Suites, Boracay Gems and a unit of 7 Stones Boracay Suites is ongoing.
The commercial and residential occupants were found to have encroached on the easement, a no-build area since the island was closed to tourists for the six-month rehabilitation set on April 26 to Oct. 25 last year.
A road will also be built along Bulabog Beach, at the eastern side of the 1,032-hectare island parallel to White Beach, the island’s main attraction.
Civil complaint
Owners of the buildings up for demolition have filed a civil complaint before the Kalibo, Aklan, Regional Trial Court to have the demolition stopped and declared illegal.
They maintained that they were already compliant with easement rules after they removed parts of their properties based on measurements conducted by the local government of Malay, Aklan, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
They are also questioning the new measurements conducted by the DENR in 2018.
The demolition started on Nov. 7 after a 20-day temporary restraining order lapsed on Nov. 4.