Gov’t buildings rise on ‘no-build’ zones

BRIDGE WITH A VIEW This resort at Barangay Patar in Bolinao town, Pangasinan, featuring a footbridge built on top of rock formations, has been issued a notice of violation for occupying a salvage zone. WILLIE LOMIBAO

BOLINAO, PANGASINAN — The Bolinao marine laboratory (BML) of the University of the Philippines (UP) Marine Science Institute and six other government buildings were built on foreshore areas and no-build (salvage) zones in this town and Alaminos City, in violation of environmental laws, officials said on Thursday.

A list from the community environment and natural resources office also cited the Bolinao School of Fisheries, the mangrove nursery of the office of the provincial agriculturist and a barangay hall for violating rules on building on foreshore and salvage areas.

In Alaminos City, the government structures found to have violated coastline protection laws included the Lucap wharf, which is the jump-off point to Hundred Islands National Park; the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) building; and a health center.

Research, training

These were among the 1,488 structures in this town and Alaminos that were issued notices of violation by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), said Raymundo Gayo, provincial environment and natural resources officer.

Cecilia Conaco, BML deputy director, said her office was preparing an answer to the DENR notice.

“We have been working alongside the UP office of the vice president for development that is in charge of all UP properties to come up with a foreshore management agreement with the DENR since 2011,” Conaco said in an email to the Inquirer.

“The DENR has been our longtime collaborator on many activities and they acknowledge that the foreshore area of BML is used in relation to scientific research and training purposes,” she said.

“It is indeed important to protect foreshore areas because coastal development is one of the major factors that can negatively affect coral reefs and other marine ecosystems.”

RESEARCH STATION The University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute built the Bolinao Marine Laboratory as its research station in Pangasinan. —WILLIE LOMIBAO

Mangrove nursery

She hoped the Bolinao town government “can work together with the DENR to disseminate information clearly and to find a way to assist everyone that [may] be affected.”

Provincial agriculturist Dalisay Moya said her office had yet to receive the violation notice, adding that the nursery at Barangay Arnedo here used to host a BFAR research building.

When government functions were devolved in the 1990s, the building was turned over to the provincial government, she said.

The mangrove nursery is also used for marine culture research and serves as a demonstration farm, she said.

Based on the DENR list, 639 residential structures in Alaminos and 713 in this town are occupying foreshore and no-build zones. Twenty-four resorts in Alaminos and 52 other structures in this town were given notices of violation.

Iconic bridge

Raymundo Reyes, owner of one of the beach resorts at Barangay Patar here included in the DENR list, said he was shocked.

“I have been running this resort for almost 20 years. We have a business permit, we have an ECC (environment compliance certificate) and we have been working together with the DENR,” he said.

His resort occupies a portion of the salvage zone and features a bridge built over natural rock formations.

“I built a bridge that had become an icon of Bolinao. Tourists look for it. Is there a violation there? Again we have worked together with the DENR and I’ve been paying P5,600 annually [for the area that the resort occupies],” he said.