Gov't to recover P20B lost to reclaimed lands

About P20 billion in government shares lost to an estimated 500 hectares of illegally reclaimed lands in the entire Cebu province will soon be recovered, says Commissioner Elberto Emphasis of the Philippine Reclamation Authority recently.

Emphasis said that recovery would be realized once illegally reclaimed foreshore lands would be registered with the agency not later than January 2007, otherwise the PRA will forfeit all of these properties in favor of the government.

He said that under the law, the national government gets a share of all reclamation projects. The PRA calculates the total cost and gives the project owner an equivalent area. The rest goes to the government through the PRA, he explained.

Emphasis mentioned of the PRA inventory which showed that about 4,000 hectares have been illegally reclaimed in the country, including beach resorts, ports and residential areas.

PRA Administrative Order 2005-1 provides amnesty to owners of lands reclaimed without PRA permit, including local government units and national government agencies.

Emphasis said that they already sent communications to concerned owners of illegally reclaimed properties and that the PRA Board has also started acting on applications it has received.

He cited the application of Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano for special registration of unauthorized reclamation projects of four developers - Integrated Geotechnical Systems, Kimwa Construction and Development Corporation, Kimbee Realty Development Corporation, and Site Traders and Development, Inc.

Emphasis also said his office will be sending a copy of their actions to Ouano as soon as it is already finalized.

PRA general manager Silvestre Bello, III in a letter dated August 15 also advised Norberto Quisumbing, Jr. to avail of the special registration on or before February 27, 2007.

Bello responded to the alleged completed reclaimed land project by Quisumbing in barangay Looc, Plaridel, Mandaue City. The said lot is now a subject of controversy as Quisumbing and the city of Mandaue have existing lease of contracts.

Some residents called for the termination of the contracts to give way to the construction of the Mandaue City College building on the lot Quisumbing used as a multicab display center. - Gregg M. Rubio/MEEV