Bohol Quake Triggers a Phenomenon (2)

7/23/2019 Bohol Quake Triggers a Phenomenon (2)

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Bohol quake triggers a phenomenon: Land rising from bottom of the seaSHARES: 18.!

"#E$ %&''E()S

*inquirerdotnet+,:- A' August th/ ,+10

Reommended

August th/ ,+10 +,:- A'

)H#S LA(2 #S &3RS &r so sa4s 'aribo5o 'a4or Leonio E6aso 7r. right9/ pointing

to a strip of broad/ flat reef o6ered ith seagrass/ orals and other marine organisms thatused to lie on the seabed until e;posed b4 the undersea uphea6al aused b4 the

destruti6e ,+1- Bohol quake. )he 1-<=hetare strip being laimed b4 'aribo5o and

Loon tons/ hih en6ision it as an eotourism site/ ounter the 2epartment ofEn6ironment and (atural Resoures> delaration that it is a ?geologial monument@

oned b4 the state. %&()R#B3)E2 H&)&

)AB#LARA( %#)C/ hilippinesD)he strip of unde6eloped dr4 land b4 the sea ma4

not interest bu4ers of beahfront propert4 in Bohol pro6ine/ one of the hilippines> top

tourist destinations knon for its sand4 shores and other natural onders. (earl4 all ofthe strip>s 1-< hetares on the edges of to tons seem ri6eted don ith roks/ some

sharp enough to thart a barefoot alk.

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Sientists e;plain the strip as a phenomenon aused b4 the hea6ing of the seabed more

than a meter abo6e the ater during the <.,=magnitude earthquake that brought Bohol to

its knees in &tober ,+1-.

)he undersea uphea6al e;posed a broad/ flat reef o6ered ith seagrasses/ orals and

other marine organisms that one li6ed undisturbed despite the neap and ebb tides.

)o the muniipalities of 'aribo5o and Loon/ hih share stories of de6astation aused

b4 the quake and are ontoured b4 the ne oastal rust in the southestern part of theisland=pro6ine/ the strip offers e;iting eotourism opportunities.

eologial monument>

But the hopes of 'aribo5o and Loon ha6e been dashed b4 a reent 2epartment of

En6ironment and (atural Resoures 2E(R9 delaration that the strip is oned b4 the

state and is a ?geologial monument@ that ?onstitutes an irreplaeable segment of the

earth>s histor4 and geologial heritage.@

Aording to the 2E(R/ geologial monuments are sites that ?sho outstanding featuresor proesses onsidered b4 geologists and other sientists orth4 of onser6ation.@

Suh geologial monuments inlude the %hoolate Hills/ also in BoholF the Hundred

#slands in angasinan pro6ineF the sand dunes of #loos (orte pro6ineF the St. aulLimestone Gormation in uerto rinesa %it4 in alaan pro6ineF the )aal "olano in

Batangas pro6ineF and the 'ontalban Limestone orge in Rodrigue/ Rial pro6ine.

Loal 6isions'a4or Leonio E6aso 7r. of 'aribo5o/ a fourth=lass heritage ton annual inome:

,0 million=-0 million9 about an hour>s dri6e from the famous di6e sites of anglao

#sland/ lamented that he and the other loal offiials ere not informed about the 2E(R plan until reentl4.

?'aribo5o is 6er4 muh interested to de6elop the area I so that it an generate inomefor the muniipalit4/@ said E6aso>s 6ie ma4or/ Grutuoso Redulla 7r.

Redulla en6isions a rereation area ith basketball and 6olle4ball ourts/ a onert hall/ a

dok and a go6ernment enter on the part of the strip in Baranga4s uianon and unta

%ru.

Also en6isioned for the area are restaurants/ fruit stands/ massage and spa ser6ie areas/

and sou6enir shops.

)he more progressi6e Loon/ a seond=lass muniipalit4 0 million=00 million9 ants

to put up a Loon %oastal eomorphi %onser6ation ark in their portion of the strip inBaranga4s %uasi/ Song=on/ )angnan/ )ontonan and (apo.



)he park ill feature a southern oastal road/ amusement and rereational enters/ an

area for sports and e;treme ad6enture. Also en6isioned are the impro6ement of the

e;isting fish santuaries and the de6elopment of other fisher4=related pro5ets.

Soioeonomi de6elopment

?# belie6e the 1-< hetares should not be delared and utilied solel4 for geologial

monument ati6ities/@ Loon 'a4or eter Llo4d Lope said.

E6aso and Lope said a portion of the strip should be reser6ed for pro5ets that ould

bring soioeonomi de6elopment to their muniipalities/ benefiting fishermen ho ha6e

been suffering from dindling ath.

)here used to be a marine santuar4 off unta %ru that teemed ith fish but theearthquake pushed it farther out to sea/ E6aso said.

Lope said the oastal aters used to be rih fishing grounds.

But sine the strip appeared/ fishermen ha6e been omplaining that their ath dropped

from , to - kilos a da4 to half a kiloDif the4 are luk4.

2E(R order for safet4

Eddie Llamedo/ 2E(R spokesperson in %entral "isa4as/ said that as a geologial

monument under Administrati6e &rder (o. ,+10=+8/ the strip is publi land and that theonstrution of an4 struture there is prohibited.

)he order also allos researhers to ondut geologial studies on the strip/ he said.

?)he area has not been delared stable/@ Llamedo said. ?Gor safet4 reasons/ the plae

should be kept from habitation/ inluding building of an4 struture or infrastruture.@

But fishermen are not barred from mooring their boats or passing through the strip hen

heading to the sea/ he said.

?)he4 an still go on ith their routine/ like fishing and gathering shells. &nl4 habitation

and building strutures are not alloed/@ he said.

At least -0 strutures sprouted on the strip about four months after the quake/ but these

ere demolished b4 both the 'aribo5o and Loon muniipal go6ernments.

Some fishermen ontinue to build sheds on the strip/ though.

7es Belarmino )irol/ diretor of planning and researh at the 3ni6ersit4 of Bohol and a

speialist in geotehnial and strutural engineering/ said the strip as safe from quakes

beause of its strong foundation.?Strutures an be built in the area/@ he said/ but larified that an4 de6elopment plan b4

the loal go6ernments should onform to the guidelines set b4 the 2E(R.



)irol is a member of the Earthquake Engineering Researh #nstitute/ a nonprofit

organiation established in 1 to redue the impat of earthquakes through seismi

studies/ inspetion of earthquake damage/ eduation and tehnolog4 transfer.#n 18/ )irol arned that Bohol should brae for a strong earthquake after ,++J/

pointing out that it ould ha6e been 1++ 4ears sine the %entral Bohol Gault Line mo6ed.

)he last strong quake from the fault line ourred in 1+J.

)he earthquake=raised strip is no knon as the Loon='aribo5o eologial 'onument/

as delared b4 2E(R Administrati6e &rder (o. ,+10=+8 issued b4 En6ironmentSeretar4 Ramon a5e.

)he 2E(R order ?ser6es to pro6ide a legal frameork for the reognition/ preser6ation

and protetion of the uplifted oast/ as ell as enourage further Kresearh and Kstud4 onthe monument for the ad6anement of geosienes in the ountr4/@ a5e said.

Aording to Llamedo/ the hole strip o6ers 0+ hetares in the tons of 'aribo5o and

Loon/ but onl4 1-< hetares ha6e been delared a geologial monument.

He said there as no need to inlude the remaining -1- hetares beause these ereo6ered ith mangro6es/ hih are alread4 proteted under the Re6ised Gorestr4 %ode.

)he geologial monument spans open areas here strutures an be built/ he said.)he 2E(R>s 'ines and eosienes Bureau 'B9 reommended the delaration after

an initial sur6e4 that shoed the area formed ?unique geologial features@ after the quake

lifted the seabed b4 1., meters.

After ground 6erifiation as indiated on the sur6e4 map/ the 'B ill install a marker

ontaining the geologial histor4/ desription and signifiane of the strip. )he 'B ill

oordinate ith other go6ernment agenies and the loal go6ernments onerned to prepare a management plan for the park.

)he plan ill fous on enrihing understanding and appreiation of the geologial

phenomenon/ and the promotion and maintenane of the area as a potential eotourismdestination/ as ell as for sientifi and eduational purposes.

But loal offiials and fishermen are unhapp4.

'a4ors Lope and E6aso lamented that the4 ere ne6er onsulted b4 the 2E(R before

issuing the administrati6e order.

)he4 said their muniipalities ere depri6ed of real estate beause the strip as nooned b4 the national go6ernment and super6ised b4 the 2E(R.

)he to tons also ould ha6e reei6ed bigger internal re6enue allotments/ hih are

based on land area and population.)he fishermen are apprehensi6e that the4 ill no longer be alloed to put up strutures

or gather shellfish on the strip.

?)he problem is here e ill get our means of li6ing/@ said Edmar 3at/ 0-/ one of themore than ,++ fishermen of Loon and 'aribo5o.

Strong obligation

&n 'a4 10/ a da4 after the 2E(R order as issued/ the Loon muniipal ounil passed a

resolution e;pressing its ?strong ob5etion@ to the delaration.



#t asked the 2E(R to ondut a publi onsultation and to empoer the loal go6ernment

to administer and manage the strip that strethes o6er the oastlines of fi6e of its

baranga4s.?)he delaration has kept our onstituents guessing as to ho suh an at ill affet

Kthem/ espeiall4 that no publi onsultation has been done to make them aare of the

onsequenes/@ 'a4or Lope said.

(o onsultation

'a4or E6aso alled the delaration ?un5ust@ beause the loal go6ernment as not e6en

told that a5e ould issue suh an order.

?$e ere not informed. So 4ou annot blame us if e suspet that the4 are planning

something bad. #f the4 ha6e good intentions/ ho ome the4 didn>t inform usM@ he said.Lope and E6aso said the4 had not e6en seen a op4 of the administrati6e order.

Llamedo said onsultations ere onduted before the order as issued.

?)here ere se6eral meetings and onsultati6e dialogues. 2uring the onsultati6e

meetings/ the4 sent their representati6es. $e 6isited their offies but the4 ere notaround/@ Llamedo said.

He/ hoe6er/ ga6e assurane of a ?full=blon onsultation@ before a presidential dereeould be issued/ delaring the strip a ?national geologial monument.@

#n the meantime/ strutures should not be put up there/ he said.

But 'aribo5o and Loon offiials re5et a presidential prolamation/ insisting that the4should ha6e ontrol o6er the ne land.

Last 4ear/ the Loon muniipal ounil passed a resolution asking resident Aquino not to

delare the strip publi land and maintaining that its administration should be the task of

the loal go6ernment/ as pro6ided for under the Loal o6ernment %ode.&n 2e. 1< last 4ear/ the ounil appro6ed an ordinane establishing the Loon %oastal

eomorphi %onser6ation ark from Baranga4 Song=on to %anhangdon &idental on

the strip.

Speial one

'aribo5o has its on plans for its ?territor4.@

#n &tober ,+1/ the 'aribo5o muniipal ounil passed a resolution asking resident

Aquino to issue a speial patent delaring the +.-0JJ hetares of the strip alienable and

disposable.&n April 1- this 4ear/ 'uniipal &rdinane (o. +1+ as passed/ lassif4ing the area in

unta %ru as ?speial use@ one.

A ground sur6e4 onduted b4 Emiliano Hormahuelos of the ro6inial En6ironmentand (atural Resoures &ffie in 'arh ,+1 shoed that the former seabed had dried up

and as not enroahed on b4 seaater e6en during high tide.

He/ hoe6er/ opined that the strip is onsidered publi land.#n a memorandum dated 7une / ,+1/ #sabelo 'onte5o/ 2E(R %entral "isa4as e;euti6e

diretor/ said the area as alread4 onsidered publi land and did not need a presidential

prolamation to delare it as suh.



Being state=oned/ it should be under the administration of the 2E(R under the

%ommonealth At of 11/ or ubli Land At/ he said.

?)he ne;t rounds of onsultations ill open more disussions on the plans for the areaand to ensure that the Kloal go6ernments onerned ill not be left out and their sides

ill be heard/@ Llamedo said. ?$e ill soliit their thoughts and inputs ith the ob5eti6e

of properl4 managing the area as a geologial monument.@)he proposals of 'aribo5o and Loon ill be submitted to the 2E(R entral offie for

appro6al/ he said.

?An4 plans b4 the Kloal go6ernments onerned ha6e to be arefull4 re6ieed andstudied sine the area is still unstable/@ he added.

&ne a presidential prolamation is issued/ he said/ e;ploration for minerals and oil ill

be prohibited/ as ell as destruti6e methods of fishing.

Rising seas)irol agreed ith the 2E(R mo6e to delare a geologial monument to allo sientists

to stud4 the strip and pre6ent pri6ate indi6iduals from filing onership laims and filling

the area ith ommerial establishments.

But the hallenge no is not another strong earthquake/ he said/ but the signifiant rise of the sea le6el aused b4 global arming.

B4 ,+,+ to ,+,0/ the sea le6el ould ha6e risen signifiantl4 and the strip ould ha6e been o6ered ith seaater/ he said.

?Sea=le6el rise is ine6itable. )herefore/ proper planning is 6ital for adaptation and

mitigation/@ )irol said.#n the heart of seismiall4 ati6e Bohol/ another national geologial monument/ the

%hoolate Hills of %armen ton/ has beome a orld=famous tourist destination.

)he giant mounds/ atuall4 raised oral deposits/ ere delared a geologial monument

on 7une 18/ 188/ b4 then En6ironment Seretar4 Gulgenio Gatoran 7r. for their speialharateristis/ sientifi importane/ uniqueness and seni 6alue.

Sine the ,+1- quake/ the monument>s onrete marker has remained lipped and

raked on the groundDa reminder of nature>s destruti6e on6ulsions.

$ith a report from %armel Loise 'atus/ #nquirer "isa4as

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Bohol Quake Triggers a Phenomenon (2)