Word ‘war’ heats up over Hundred Islands fishpens

By Mar T. Supnad

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan -- The word war between provincial and Alaminos City officials on environmental degradation due to proliferating of fishponds within the area of the famous Hundred Islands has heated up Provincial Administrator Rafael F. Baraan expressed dismay on the reaction of Alaminos City government officials saying: “Rather than facing the issue squarely, Mayor Hernani Braganza dared Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. and 1st District Congressman Jesus “Boying” Celeste to issue a public apology for allegedly giving ‘false statements’ on the Hundred Islands issue.”

The issue cropped up when the Kapisanan ng mga Broadcasters ng Pilipinas invited Task Force Kalikasan on the update of the massive coastal and river clean-up in Pangasinan.

TFK showed aerial photos that revealed fishponds sprawling within the islands with task force deputy commander Tom Cabigas saying the agency will dig deeper into the issue to protect the Hundred Islands from further environmental degradation.

Following that media forum, Braganza urged the governor and later Rep. Celeste to make a public apology during a hastily-called press conference arranged by him.

“The issue here is why there are fishponds in the area,” Baraan said, “Whether these structures are old or new, the fact remains that these still exist in the area. What’s worse, they used corals to construct the dikes in some areas. This is a mortal sin.”

The other issue that boggles the mind, according to Baraan, is the fact that the Bolo Development Corporation (Bolodeco) was granted a Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) on January 1993 despite the issuance by then President Corazon Aquino of an executive order on Feb. 18, 1992 that excluded national parks and other protected areas from land distribution.

In addition to that, then President Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 1173 in 1977 “abrogating all leases and cancelling land titles and patents covering portions of Hundred Islands National Park.”

The decree cited “a few private persons have been able to title portions of the park after the segregation thereof from the public domain under Proclamation No. 667 dated January 18, 1940.”

The expose of Celeste that there are other private individuals who have bigger fishponds at the Hundred Islands than Bolodeco have raised bigger questions why the area had become host of fish farming business.

Celeste cited a story that came out in one national daily in year 2000 that three of the big time operators of fishponds in the area were the Braganzas.

The provincial administrator said the general principle is, all the islands clustered around the area are part of the Hundred Islands.

He said that if the fishponds are within the islands, most likely they must be part of the National Park.

“The Hundred Islands is slowly and systematically being destroyed by unscrupulous and greedy persons who are only after their vested interest,” Baraan said.

He said those in authority should act and should not allow this issue to remain unchecked and stay unattended. “The City of Alaminos was granted the authority through EO 436 in 2005 to operate and manage the Islands for tourism purposes. This cannot violate the NIPAS law by virtue of which the DENR exercises regulatory control and supervision over the islands.”

Then Philippine National Police regional director Amado T. Espino, Jr., recommended to then President Ramos the cancellation of the CLOA, citing the negative environmental effects of the fishponds within the area.

The president approved the request and in turn directed then DAR Secretary Ernesto Garilao and Energy Secretary Francisco Viray to institute cancellation proceedings.

In 1999, six years after the issuance of the CLOA, a petition was filed with the Department of Agrarian Reform Adjudication Board (DARAB) at Lingayen, Pangasinan, for the cancellation of CLOA No. 92927.

Baraan said that the case has been up for resolution since February 1, 2000, or more than ten years, from now. What is keeping the DARAB from resolving the case?

While the case is pending, some of the beneficiaries are enjoying their property as the DARAB did not issue order to enjoin them from utilizing and developing the same, Baraan said.

“Still, if these action and activities violate NIPAS, what is the Department of Environment and Natural Resources doing about it?,” Baraan queried.

Baraan also said that the provincial government, under the leadership of Gov. Espino, is consistent with its policy on protecting the environment. “So far, the Task Force Kalikasan, has cleared 80 kilometers of rivers from fishpens and other illegal structures,” he added.