DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The Davao City Council has approved the amendments to the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance to delineate areas for eco-tourism and agro-tourism activities in Marilog and Paquibato Districts.
Under the amended Article IV section 2, Article VI section 1 and Article XII section of the City Ordinance No. 0546-13, Series of 2013, there will be a conservation areas, namely Conservative Zone 1 (CZ1) and Conservative Zone 2 (CZ2) consisting of a total land area of 62,469 hectares. These areas would be identified and declared as environmentally critical areas (ECA) in the Watershed Code of Davao City and areas declared by laws as national parks, watershed reserves, wildlife reserves, wildlife preserves and sanctuaries including recharge areas for water requirement where rainwater or seepage.
The CZ1 which has a total land area of 37,182 hectares to cover areas declared and determined as national parks, watershed reserves, recharge areas for water requirement and closed canopy reserves.
Allowable uses of the CZ1 only include the development and maintenance of Mt. Apo National Park, preservation of existing cultural settlements, improvement and maintenance of all waterway easements, reforestation development projects and preservation of biodiversity areas.
In the 25,287 hectares of CZ2 that consist of the areas of District 2 and 3, the eco-tourism activities would be done with limitation and under the condition of allowable use to include preservation of existing cultural settlements, improvement and maintenance of all waterway easements, reforestation development projects and preservation of biodiversity areas. These activities should also be done with a “Free Prior Inform Consent (FPIC) and/or Tenurial Agreement with Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) owner and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) whenever is applicable.
They must also comply with the DENR and the local government permit prior to construction and operation, with a maximum of two percent concrete construction footprint measured by the cumulative total ground floor areas covered by concrete as against the total land areas and no clearing of trees nor slope alteration.
Under Article XII Section 2 or the Existing Non-Conforming Uses and Building, the ordinance allow to continue the use of any building, structure or land, although “it does not conform with the provision of the ordinance” excluding those zones under CZ1 and CZ2.
Last year, several tourists destinations in both district 2 and 3 were ordered closed by the City Council as many of them violate the existing ordinance and many do not obtain permits to operated.
The amendment eyes to settle and provide a possible solution in all affected establishments and gain more tourists in the city. (davaotoday.com)
