This, after owners of these structures failed to voluntarily demolish their properties even after the Cebu Provincial Government gave them a month to do so.
Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia met with the owners of beach resorts in the municipality and the informal settlers on Jan. 10, 2023, when she gave the attendees one month to tear down any structures that sit on the 15-meter easement along the shoreline.
But when personnel of Badian’s Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (Menro) headed by Manolito Recopelacion checked the area on Feb. 15, five days after the deadline set, they found that only nine of the 21 owners of resorts and residential houses had complied with the order.
Recopelacion said he will send a report to Garcia on the remaining structures that still encroached on the easement zone.
“Gipalipas lang ang adlaw sa pagminahalay. Karon petsa 15 naman ta, adlaw sa paghukom,” Recopelacion said.
(They waited for Valentine’s Day to pass. Now that it’s the 15th, the day of judgment has come.)
According to Menro’s assessment, the 21 structures found to have encroached on the 15-meter easement were mostly movable kiosks, concrete perimeter fences, accommodations and houses.
But Recopelacion said since only nine of the 21 structures were voluntarily demolished by their owners, they are now awaiting Garcia’s instructions before implementing the demolition of the remaining structures.
Badian Councilor Joseph Balbuana, who chairs the committee on infrastructure in the municipal council, said he will make a resolution to ban the building of structures within the 15-meter easement of Lambug Beach and penalize those who violate the measure. (BBT / TPT)