QUEZON CITY, Aug. 14 (PIA) --- The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) intensified its campaign against property owners of illegal structures along Pasig River and its tributaries.
PRRC said that they have already conducted a dialogue with the structure owners including private companies and residential houses who occupied the three-meter easement of the River as part of their advocacy to rehabilitate the storied river.
According to PRRC, the Water Code of the Philippines states that the banks of rivers and streams and the shores of the seas and lakes throughout their entire length and within a zone of three (3) meters in urban areas are subject to the easement of public use in the interest of recreation, navigation, floatage, fishing and salvage.
It also states that no person shall be allowed to stay in this zone longer than what is necessary for recreation, navigation, floatage, fishing or salvage or to build structures of any kind.
“The establishment, extent, form, and conditions of easements of water not expressly determined by the provisions of this Code shall be governed by the provisions of the Civil Code,” Article 52 of the Code states.
As part of the PRRC’s efforts to rehabilitate the river, they have also coordinated with concerned local government units (LGUs) to issue a notice of demolition to property owners who violated the prescribed easement along the river.
The PRRC said that aside from being an obstruction the illegal structures also contribute solid and liquid wastes that contaminate the water.
The PRRC also said that some of the structure owners were able to secure land titles and permits from the government but upon inspection said titles contain a provision stating that the owner should voluntarily give up the three-meter space once the government needs it.
The PRRC said that on cases with no such provisions on land titles occur, the issue will be brought to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Currently, there are several properties occupying the three-meter easement of the Pasig River which is 26 kilometers long and passes through the urban areas of the metropolis from its upstream portion west of Laguna de Bay, moving downstream to east of Manila Bay.
It traverses four cities (Manila, Mandaluyong, Makati and Pasig) and two municipalities of Rizal (Taguig and Taytay).
Throughout history, the river was used as a major source of transportation, water, food, and livelihood for a large number of Filipino people living in Manila.
It was such an important part of the country that Malacañan Palace (Official Residence of the President of the Philippines) is on the shores of the Pasig River. (MAPA/RJB/PIA-NCR)
See more at: http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2561439524624/prrc-intensifies-campaign-against-illegal-structures-along-pasig-river-its-tributaries#sthash.UbOyQosB.dpuf
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