DENR task force discovers 361 establishments violating easement zone in Siargao
BUTUAN CITY – The findings of Task Force Siargao of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) have showed that 361 tourist establishments have extended their structures within the easement zone.
As such, the task force has ordered the owners and operators of these establishments to voluntarily demolish their structures.
The discovery of easement violations came after a 14-day assessment and evaluation analysis undertaken by the Task Force Siargao in General Luna town that was bared by the Environment Management Bureau (EMB) of the DENR recently.
DENR 13 Regional Executive Director (RED) Felix S. Alicer presided over a meeting of the task force to review the data analysis of the 1,298 tourist establishments and homestays evaluated with compliance to environmental laws, rules and regulations held at the DENR 13 Regional Conference Room in Butuan City on Labor Day.
Alicer said that the task force may compel the owners and operators of some establishments in the tourist surfing hub in General Luna, Siargao Islands to voluntarily demolish their structures that encroached on the easement regulations of the government.
The “Task Force Siargao” reported that of the 1,298 establishments assessed and evaluated, 361 establishments were found to have extended their structures beyond the regulated 25-meter shore-to-land easement which is set aside by law for public access.
The DENR 13 is set to issue a letter on Monday to the erring owners and operators of identified tourist establishments, informing them of their violation with request to” tear down” or demolish the structures that they have built inside the regulated access way.
The DENR is likewise expected to coordinate with the building official of the Mayor’s Office in General Luna about the findings.