P12 Billion-Worth Island in Cagayan?
CAGAYAN – An island located in the said province is up for sale for a whopping 12 billion pesos.
A real estate agent named Jomar Corpuz posted on Facebook about selling an island called Dalupiri in Cagayan. The island, part of the Babuyan Archipelago, is 5000 hectares with beaches around it. Corpuz asked people online to help find a wealthy buyer willing to pay 12 billion pesos for the entire island. He claimed to have legal documents to prove the right to sell it.
However, some netizens raised concerns about the legitimacy of the offer, pointing out that 621 people live on the island. One person even mentioned that Dalupiri might be a Marine Reserve, making it illegal to sell. A netizen named Ariel Zamora cited a similar case with Fortune Island, owned by Leviste, which remains undeveloped due to legal restrictions.
“Protected yan ng batas papanong nangyari na binebenta yan? Ung Fortune Island ni leviste hanggang ngayon di magalaw at di madevelop kahit nabili nya na. kasi di naman pwedeng ibenta yan. Yang ganayang kalaking island is classified as Marine Reserve under Proclamation 1801,” a netizen wrote.
Meanwhile, Proclamation No. 1801, signed on November 10, 1978, by President Ferdinand E. Marcos, declares several islands, coves, and peninsulas in the Philippines as tourist zones and marine reserves. The proclamation aims to harness the natural beauty, aquatic sports potential, and marine life conservation in the Philippines.
Notable locations mentioned include the Batangas coastline, Fuga Island, Oriental Mindoro, Boracay Islands, Dumaguete, Cebu, Tagbilaran, Tacloban, Palawan, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga, and Davao, among others. The Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) is granted control over these areas to coordinate their development for tourism, with strict regulations prohibiting development without presidential approval. The proclamation revokes or modifies any inconsistent previous proclamations, decrees, or executive orders.