DAR starts identifying beneficiaries of Boracay land

Tourists visit the beach on Boracay Island, Aklan province, on April 6, 2018. AFP FILE PHOTO

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) said it already started identifying possible beneficiaries of land in Boracay should President Rodrigo Duterte make good on his statement to give the land to farmers.

“Pinag-aaralan na natin,” said Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones in an interview with Radyo Inquirer 990AM on Sunday.

“Uumpisahan na natin ang identification at inventory kung sino dapat makinabang kung sakali bigyan kami ni Presidente Duterte ng marching order na ituloy ito,” he added, noting that Boracay residents would be prioritized to become beneficiaries.

Castriciones said they were awaiting Duterte’s orders to put Boracay under land reform after its six-month closure for rehabilitation.

READ: Duterte: Boracay to be a ‘land reform area’ for farmers after closure

“Kung bibigyan nya kami ng marching orders, ipapatupad po namin ‘yan,” Castriciones said.

Castriciones warned possible beneficiaries against reselling the lands awarded to them.

“Para ‘di madispose pag na-award at napatunayan na in-alienate nila o binenta, mawawalan po ng karapatan sa lupa at ika-cancel natin ito,” he said.

In 2006, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Proclamation No. 1064 classifying the 1,032-hectare island into forest and agricultural land.

The proclamation classified 628.96 hectare or 60.94 percent of the island as agricultural land and thus “alienable and disposable.” The rest was declared forestland for “protection purposes.”

The Supreme Court unanimously upheld the proclamation in 2008.

Duterte earlier ordered the closure of the famous tourist spot for six months starting April 26 in a bid to rehabilitate the island he previously called a “cesspool” due to its garbage and sewage problem. /cbb

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