Boracay issue

Presidential Proclamation 1064 issued by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo which declared 60 percent of Boracay island as alienable and disposable lands, created a mix of apprehension, confusion, and outright indignation against the government by resort establishment owners who bought untitled raw lands more than 20 years ago, developed these properties, and eventually transformed the "island resort" into a world class tourist destination that currently employs half a million people, generates P7 billion yearly business, and whose economic potentials and growth could still be perceived as on the rise.

The business community of Boracay feels that PP 1064 will eventually lead to placing untitled properties in Boracay – where resort establishments are located – on the auction block for public bidding. If and when this happens, Dr. Orlando J. Sacay, and the other residents I interviewed said, "This would be unfair and disadvantageous to present owners. It is unthinkable that the government will do this to us. We risked our meager capital some 20 years ago, and sincerely devoted our lives to make Boracay what it is today – and now, this."

Dr. Orlando J. Sacay, owner of Waling-Waling Hotel, and president of Boracay Foundation, expressed that he and other property owners should be able to acquire titles to their properties by judicial process instead of bidding.

The Philippine government should do everything humanly possible to help the present owners of untitled properties to obtain titles to their properties through the judicial process and not by public bidding. This will set a good example, and at the same time, demonstrate government seriousness and sincerity in promoting Filipino pioneering spirit in business entrepreneurship.

In hindsight, dialogues between the business community of Boracay and the government from the very beginning, could have prevented the jitters or fears or mistrust or even public indignation by the business sector of Boracay against the government.

For instance, Presidential Chief of Staff Mike Defensor clearly stated on TV that Proclamation 1064 is a step towards the titling of lands in Boracay. No mention was made about placing untitled properties on the auction block for public bidding. He interposed no objection to the present property occupants’ applying and seeking titles to their properties through judicial means. This is a positive development in resolving the issue.

The government should take advantage of the inputs presented by Minority Leader Francis Escudero, and points agreed upon between him and Defensor to get the Solicitor General to help resolve the case filed by Boracay residents pending in the Supreme Court.

Let me say again that the public confrontation between the government and the businessmen of Boracay was apparently a failure in establishing direct lines of communication between the two protagonists. While both sides are articulate and professionally equipped to discuss matters in a civil manner, i.e. the good or positive objective of the President or Mike Defensor on the rationale of PP 1064, no preliminary debates took place.

The government is now hard put to continue vigorously the information drive on the positive intention of the proclamation.

This columnist agrees that the pioneers in developing Boracay into an international tourist destination – particularly those who risked their capital when the place was "nothing," and continuously occupied, developed, improved and transformed their properties into thriving and successful business ventures should be given all the encouragement and opportunities to get their titles to the properties which they bought on the strength of "tax declarations."

The fear of businessmen – owners of big and backyard resorts are understandably upset, on account of the first declarations that their properties would be placed on the auction block; the small land owners’ nightmare is that they could not compete with the impending influx of big business – local and foreign since the market value of these properties have gone up from P150 per square meter at the time of acquisition to the current land value of something like P45,000 per square meter. Hence a 1,500 sq. meter property is now approximately valued at P67 million.

It would be interesting if the Department of Tourism could conduct a study to find out actual current land values in Boracay as well as how the income levels, education, and standard of living of people in Boracay compare with the rest of the country.

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FOR THOUSANDS of years the coconut has been hailed as the "Tree of Life." But only recently has it taken the country overwhelmingly, not only because it satisfies some dietary requirement in tropical zones like the Philippines, Malaysia, Polynesia, Indonesia, Pukapuka and Tokelan, to mention a few, as it also believed to heal the human body of degenerative diseases, and repairs and brings to youthful conditions its outer skin. The fruit is now called the drugstore in a bottle, and called the Virgin Coconut Oil.

An enterprising businesswoman, Cecilia V. Romera of Trece Martires City, Cavite, has taken it upon herself to make available products derived from coconut oil. Her marketing effort paid off; in a short time, Cecilleville Trade Enterprise was judged 2006 Most Outstanding Producer of the Virgin Coconut Oil.

Cecille was first exposed to the wonders of the coconut fruit while she was director for management at the National Science Development Board (now Dept. of Science and Technology). After retirement, she went into the real state business with her husband, now deceased, Celso B. Romero, with whom she has two children, Marcus Aurelius, and Ma. Lucinda. The family Marcins Corporation on Capitol Hills, Executive Subdivision in Trece Martires is one of the biggest real estate developers. Then she decided to go into the marketing of the miracle fruit’s by-products.

Cecile is very proud of her coconut virgin oil products, which she uses faithfully, and the proof of their efficacy is her clear, smooth skin. At the launch of her product recently, she talked briefly of her products, and rendered songs before her friends and members of the diplomatic corps.

In our conversation, Cecile said that VCO is taken as a food supplement. "With an extra non-chemical process, the oil will not solidify unless refrigerated. Because it is resistant to oxidation its freshness guarantees more than two years shell life."

Cecille said that the Cecille beauty and personal care products not only cleanse, but heal. "Coconut oil as applied to skin and scalp is readily absorbed within minutes of application and do the miraculous repair and rejuvenation of the biggest organ of the human body, the skin. It is almost like eating it."

The personal care and beauty products are perfumed VCO with Magnolia, Rose, Chamomile, Lavender and Lime scents; hand wash, body lotion, bar and round soaps and shampoo with the same scents.

Bruce Fife, N.D., wrote an article on "The Healing Miracle of Coconut Oil" which was published by Health Publication in Colorado Springs, USA. In the article he summarized a wide range of health benefits from the use of VCO. Among them, it said that coconut oil kills virus that cause monocleosis, influenza hepatitis, measles, herpes/AIDs, and bacteria that cause pneumonia, earache, throat infection dental cavities. It helps protect the body from breast, colon and other cancers, and helps prevent high blood pressure, provides a source of quick energy, and improves digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and amino acids.

There are many more benefits cited by Fife, but I think it would be well to consult your doctor if you have serious cases of diabetes and hypertension.

My email: dominimt2000@yahoo.com