ILLEGAL OCCUPANTS IN FORESHORE, SALVAGE ZONE

LINGAYEN—The Provincial Environment and Natural Office (PENRO) has served notices of violation to 500 individuals who own sheds, resorts, houses, restaurants, and other establishments to remove their structures built on the foreshore area and the salvage zone of San Fabian Beach.

Raymundo Gayo, PENRO officer-in-charge, said some of the persons served notices reportedly own two or three illegal structures in areas along the beach that belong to the government.

Gayo appeared at the Question Hour of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) to shed light on the complaints aired by beach establishments after PENRO installed steel barriers on three entry points to the beach to prevent vehicles from parking inside the foreshore area.

He said the installation of barriers was one of the measures being undertaken in San Fabian beach to clear the area of illegal occupants and restore it to its natural grandeur and beauty.

To be removed are structures built in the foreshore area – between the sea and highest reach of water during high tide – and the salvage zone – from the point where the foreshore land ends, plus 20 meters inland.

Gayo told the SP that the San Fabian beach is one of three beaches in Pangasinan undergoing simultaneous assessment by PENRO. The others are the beaches in Alaminos City and Bolinao.

The notices of violation gave respondents 15 days to reply why they should continue to occupy the foreshore area and the salvage zone owned by the state.

All the responses will be collated by the provincial and regional task forces on coast watch and will be submitted to the DENR regional office for final evaluation.

But Fourth District Board Member Jeremy Agerico Rosario expressed doubt that PENRO will succeed in its efforts since among the occupants of the foreshore land and salvage zone are current and former government officials and rich and influential persons.

Rosario noted that PENRO has no time frame, budget and comprehensive plan to accomplish its objectives for the implementation of an executive order issued way back in 1987 and asked why it took the agency 30 years to implement it.

Gayo said this is because it is only now that the Philippines has a president who has the political will to do it, similar to what he has done and is doing in Boracay.

Meanwhile, San Fabian Vice Mayor Leopoldo Manalo clarified that some of the occupants of the foreshore land and salvage zone are holders of tax declarations which are not land titles but only proof of tax payments, and many are not residents of San Fabian.

He revealed that owners of structures from Baguio reportedly obtained permits from a syndicate that sold subdivision and sketch plans which were used as basis to secure tax declarations.

This corroborated the suspicion of Rosario that some unscrupulous personnel of the DENR were involved with the syndicate.

Meanwhile, Fourth District Board Member Liberato Villegas, former vice mayor of San Fabian, recalled there were other entry points to the beach area that lead to houses of illegal settlers. (Leonardo Micua)

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