SC sets oral arguments on bid vs Boracay reclamation project

The Supreme Court on Tuesday decided to hear oral arguments for the petition to stop the local government of Aklan province from proceeding with its P1-billion reclamation project off the tourist haven Boracay Island. Chief Justice Renato Corona said the oral arguments, to be held on Sept. 13 at 2 p.m., “will enable the parties to the case to amplify their positions on the issue presented before the court." Last June, the SC issued a temporary environmental protection order (TEPO) against the construction of a 40-hectare reclamation site between Boracay Island and the coastal village of Caticlan. The SC issued the order on the request of the Boracay Foundation Inc. (BFI), a group of some 160 businessmen and Boracay residents. The group said the P1-billion reclamation project will have an adverse impact on the environment. Citing a study conducted by marine biologists from the Marine Environmental Resource Foundation and the University of Philippines’ Marine Science Institute, the foundation also said the project will affect the current and flow of the tides between Caticlan and Boracay and may cause further erosion of the sands on the island, a premier tourist spot in the Philippines. The BFI claimed that the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources allowed Aklan to proceed with the project even if the local government has not complied with the proper requirements needed to construct a reclamation site. The petitioners added that the Aklan government failed to consult with the local government units and other stakeholders before the start of the project, which local officials from Malay town and Caticlan village have strongly opposed. The reclamation project being questioned has two components: 36.82 hectares on Caticlan in mainland Aklan, and 3.18 hectares on Boracay Island. Caticlan and Boracay are located in Malay town in Aklan. - Sophia Dedace/KBK, GMA News