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Duterte to Ati tribe: You can sell Boracay land after 10 years, get rich


President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday night made good on his promise to distribute lands titles to indigenous peoples of the popular holiday destination Boracay, which recently reopened for tourists and businesses after a six-month rehabilitation process.

Duterte led the distribution of 623 land ownership certificates to 484 agrarian reform beneficiaries for the 274 hectares of government-owned lots in Boracay and two towns in Aklan province.

Specifically, the government turned over 3.2 hectares to 45 beneficiaries belonging to the Boracay Ati Tribal Organization based in Barangay Manoc-Manoc in Malay, Aklan.The rest of the beneficiaries were from Barangay Kabulihan in Malay town,

Barangay Nazareth in Buruanga, Aklan and Barangay Tagas in Tangalan, Aklan.

 

 

In his speech, Duterte reiterated that the beneficiaries could sell their lots to commercial developers once the 10-year prohibition on selling the property has lapsed. 

Under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), the agrarian reform beneficiary cannot sell, mortgage and encumber his property during 10 years from award.

"In the meantime, till the land, make it productive and when the prohibition period is over, maybe your children can sell it and it would be million[s]. May mga Ati dito na yayaman balang araw," he said.

"Huwag ninyong bitawan ‘yan. Sa karaming tao sa mundo, makakuha ka lang ng piece of real estate. Sa karami natin...tapos kayo dito nakakuha ng inyong lupa, na inyo na, na maibigay na ninyo doon sa mga apo ninyo at baka balang araw, they so decide then it’s up to them."

Duterte had previously called Boracay and its world-famous white-sand beach a "cesspool." He had ordered visitors be kept away from April 26 until late October so facilities to treat raw sewage can be set up and illegal structures torn down.

The President also said that no casino resort would be put up in Boracay and that he was placing it under land reform, citing a Supreme Court decision in October 2008 that declared Boracay, which it classified as forested and agricultural, as state owned. — LDF/BAP, GMA News

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