Investors condemn ‘land grab’ in Boracay
Agence France-Presse | 11/10/2008 7:32 PM
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International investors on Monday condemned the Philippines government for what they call a land-grab on the holiday island of Boracay and said it had now become an "ugly" place to live.
The Boracay Land Owners' Association held a press conference in Hong Kong to draw international attention to their ongoing battle to overturn a 2006 move by the Philippine government declaring that the whole island belongs to the state.
Stephen Arceno, who heads the group, said the mounting violence in the tourist hotspot famed for its spectacular beaches are a direct result of the decision by the Manila authorities.
"You are returning to the law of the jungle," he told AFP, adding that the loss of ownership meant many people leasing land were being forced from their properties so the owners could try to sell quickly.
Last week, armed men forced their way into one of the island's resorts and held the Australian who ran the hotel and his family captive amid a property dispute.
Ray Yip, a 67-year-old Hong Kong architect and artist, said conditions on the island had deteriorated in recent years.
"Thirty years ago, I thought I had bought a piece of paradise -- which I had," said Yip, who did not want to reveal the extent of his portfolio, to avoid being branded a "rich man in the Philippines".
"But it has become ugly, there are a lot of fights and a lot of things have happened," Yip told AFP.
Yip said he would never buy a piece of property in the Philippines again.
The proclamation by the government has meant many people who own property in Boracay have been ordered to re-purchase the land they have held for many years, Arceno said. Many have refused.
The group is now challenging the decision in the Supreme Court, said Arceno, who owns a plot of land near a former hotel.
The island draws half a million tourists each year -- more than one sixth of tourist visitors to the Philippines -- but an increase in violence and pollution has raised concerns its reputation could be damaged.
