MikeLigalig.com

What is lousy about the airport -- yes, it is too close to the neighbors, who suffer from the noise with the increased traffic, but for me, it has something nice to just descend from a stair, pick up my bags, and walk out to be at my destination.

What to say of this? After the foolishness surrounding the Panglao International Airport, we have another severe case of megalomania out to destroy what remains of the beauty and tranquility of Panglao. Instead of making small steps to improve the place for all, great plans are unleashed only to explode just after the demolition teams have done there destructive work.

All I can hope is that sanity returns before it is too late.

If I can help with my website (bohol.ph) to expose this, I will gladly do so.

Quote from: Bambi on June 01, 2010, 05:51:27 AM
...basin the main reason nga ma closed - minus ang income.  haskang mahala pod ang ilang rate, lisod aboton ug gamay ray atong pocket money.

Maybe... I know places just behind Alona Palm Beach where you can stay a week for their daily rate, and then also have a kitchen to do your own cooking and save even more, as you need not use a restaurant for every meal. You pay a lot for the privilege of staying directly on the beach, and their great swimming pool.

By my rough estimate, they spend over a million dollars to construct this resort, with its limited capacity, you'll need to have considerable occupancy to break even.

Well, it is already true a small group of people own much of Philippine land. Bohol, to a certain degree is a positive exception to this, but look at the situation in Negros or Panay, where very few own lots of land (this problem already started in the early American days, when disowned church lands where sold to some richer families at give-away prices.)

You'll probably see a few price hikes due to speculation and market adjustments when such a constitutional ban would be lifted, but in the end, I think the effects would be fairly limited, as really, the value of land is determined - in the long run - by the income you can derive from it, and the lands earning capability doesn't increase overnight by a legal maneuver. Of course, the Philippines growing population pressure and economic growth will put considerable pressure on future land prices, no matter any constitutional change.

Where the government really has to act is where artificial scarcity is created, or markets fail due to massive mismatch of bargaining powers (a few powerful have-alls against a mass of have-nots), irrespective of whether the abusive parties are nationals or foreigners. Measures such as land ceiling acts, and laws stopping absentee landlord-ism need to be implemented. Given the current state of affairs, this is however fairly unlikely to happen.

The current constitutional ban on buying land or being active in certain businesses by foreigners probably does more harm than that it really helps Filipino's. I can fully understand the sentiments given the Philippines' colonial history -- most former colonies have similar regulations--, but on one side, it is fairly easily circumvented by the unscrupulous (A fifty year lease construction with a Filipino straw man is very well possible), on the other side, it artificially keeps out certain long-term investments that might be very helpful. I think the impact on land-prices will be fairly limited, as those, speculation aside, are mostly determined by the earning capacity of that piece of land, which is directly coupled to the development of the place. If I were a rich foreigner looking for a nice plot to build a bungalow for my retirement, for say $200.000, it is already fairly easy obtain it, using current exceptions. However, for most foreigners without special ties to the Philippines, you might very well have better options in other countries. At the moment, nice bungalows in Portugal are also available in that price range.

Under Philippine law, all beach upto 30 metres from the high-water shore-line is public property, which cannot be sold (some lease exceptions do apply, but not in Alona beach). So there is not even a reason for the government to buy it: it is already theirs.

I don't think the local government should acquire the resort itself, but if it is not operated, it may be in violation of zoning laws (at least it would if such laws existed), and the owner should be forced to comply, and maintain the property as a beach resort, as it has all the permits for that, and not for 'unused decaying buildings'.

The issue of private/public beaches is a big one. Sometimes, there are few problems, as all the access roads lead over private property, but technically, you could use a boat to go to the public beach and enjoy it. At other times, you encounter barbed wire and armed guards, and talking helps little. Eskaya Beach resort is (under Philippine management), as I have understand from various parties, but not through my own observation, a bad offender in this regard.

I don't think it helps to start talking about deporting foreigners... they also consistently contribute to investing and _maintaining_ quality resorts that bring in guests and funds. I can fully understand the reasoning behind resorts trying to fend off parts of the beach for their customers, as sometimes hordes of people invade the beach, enjoy it with a lot of noise, and leave behind a terrible mess, which they see themselves forced to cleanup. I only do not agree with the method, which is illegal. Here really lies a task for the local government, who can zone the beaches for various purposes (quiet zone, game zone, pick-nick and party zone, boat landing zone), and enforce those rules. Sometimes Alona beach looks more like harbor, and that really distracts from its attractiveness...

One of the things that really surprises me is that I haven't even noticed an attempt to sell the resort. Given the effort that has gone into developing this, and the prominent place it has on Alona beach, you would surely expect it to be worth a considerable amount. Lets hope a new owner will be able to continue operation, so we will not be left with a ghost resort the coming years.

I have always had some mixed feelings about Alona Palm Beach Resort. On one side, it set an example for a nice way of developing Alona beach, which has become a little bit unorganized over the years, with some glaring wounds (after the fire), some anti-social behavior of some resorts (such as putting barbed wire straight on the beach, building far to close to the shoreline, and dumping waste just behind) -- and my issue with Alona Palm Beach: it tried to monopolize the beach in front of his resort, even though it is and remains public, government owned land where everybody is free to walk -- I still remember how its security guard tried to send away may three year old son and mother-in-law a couple of years ago, because my son was playing with 'their' sand. Only after I explained the guard that the beach is public land, and he has no right to send people away, we could continue staying there.

Thanks Mike for the location. Just a few suggestions.

1. Add a boulevard style road with some nice shops and boutiques, restaurants, etc., along the coast-line in Tagbilaran (take a look at Dumaguete city). That is the place for night-life, not the beaches. Make the city look towards the sea, instead of turning its back to it.

2. Increase the size of the Corella tarsier reservation, promote and run it better, and add more reservations to preserve the tarsier, and the last few remaining patches of natural forests. Remove the tarsier cage near Loboc river: it kills tarsiers.

3. Enforce a 100 meters wide no-building zone along the beaches. Keep public beaches public and heavily fine hotel owners that barricade public lands.

4. Provide cleanliness education in all schools. Take care the participants of a school day-trip pick up all their pick-nick mess (including the teachers!)

5. Restore Bohol's historical buildings, in particular the watch tower and surrounding buildings in Panglao town, the old houses and churches in Baclayon, Tagbilaran, Loay, Loon, Loboc, etc.

6. Forbid any building on Panglao higher than a coconut tree. Forget about the disastrous airport plan there (see: http://www.bohol.ph/article124.html). Improve connection between Mactan Intl. Airport and Panglao for charter tourists.

7. Improve waste disposal in Panglao. Collect solid waste on a weekly base. Make concrete septic tanks obligatory for all hotels and resorts, and collect it for deposit at an appropriate place, instead of letting it sip into the limestone underground.

8. Improve active sports in the inland; great opportunities for spelunking, rafting, mountain biking, trekking, etc.

9. Stop antique dealers from demolishing old houses, churches, cave-based graves, and historical archaeological sites. Get stolen Boholano cultural artifacts back from museums and private collectors in Manila and other places. Set up a good registration system to avoid theft and trace items stolen.

10. Develop the Anda Peninsula, and the Northern Part of the island, including the unique double barrier reef for scuba divers.

I can elaborate further if so desired.