Gullas wants probe on NAMRIA’s delineation methods

Cebu first district Rep. Eduardo Gullas is asking the House Committee on Natural Resources to conduct an inquiry on the method adopted by the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority in the delineation and delimitation of the “municipal waters” of Cebu City and Talisay City, which is reportedly prejudicial to the interest of Talisay City residents.

In House Bill No. 39, Gullas said there is a need to investigate and review the method and procedure used by NAMRIA in coming up with its technical report to “verify if such is in conformity with the definition of municipal waters.”

Gullas wants to resolve the present controversy between Cebu City and Talisay City as to whether the reclaimed area of the South Road Properties undertaken by Cebu City has encroached into the municipal waters of Talisay.

Gullas said NAMRIA has prepared a technical report which “purports to determine how much of the city of Talisay’s municipal waters were included in the SRP of Cebu City reckoning the delineation from the Municipal Boundary Monument 30 to the natural coastline.”

A Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7 survey found the MBM 30 embedded in SRP soil, deep into Talisay City’s territory. The MBM 30 is an offshore concrete marker that supposedly defines the political boundaries between Cebu City and Talisay City.

The technical report, signed by Engr. Enrique Macaspac of NAMRIA, stated that only about two hectares of Talisay City’s municipal waters have been included in the SRP and not 53 as what the city has claimed. Earlier, Talisay City opposed Cebu City’s application for titling of the entire SRP.

The NAMRIA technical report, reckoned the delineation, not from the natural coastline as it existed before the reclamation, but from the new man-made coastline after the reclamation. —Garry B. Lao/MEEV