‘Boracay can be both agrarian reform, tourism area’

Boracay can be a land reform area without sacrificing tourism.

“We would still maintain Boracay as a tourist destination. However, we have to limit it in the beach areas since these are where the tourists spend time and linger. These are areas wherein they are more interested,” said Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary John Castriciones in an interview yesterday.

Castriciones revealed that the DAR has found that there are agricultural lands that have been developed for commercial purposes.

He said limiting tourism to certain areas would prevent conversion of agricultural lands as these will now be covered by the government’s agrarian reform program.

For his part, DAR Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and Research David Erro said the department has developed a map that serves as their guide where tourism sites in Boracay would be maintained and which areas could be placed under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

Earlier, a team from the DAR verified that 845 hectares of land in Boracay can be subjected to CARP.

“Out of this figure, 25 hectares can be immediately covered by the land reform program and distributed to around 80 Aetas as beneficiaries within three months, or even less. This will just be phase 1 of the land distribution,” said Erro.

He added that phase 2 will entail distribution of 220 hectares of agricultural lands while phase 3 will consist of 600 hectares to be distributed to farmer-beneficiaries.

But DAR said phases 2 and 3 involve lands where structures, including commercial establishments, have been built, so removal of these structures will have to be done first.

“It will take a while before they can be distributed,” Erro said.