Busuanga Pasture Reserve (Photo courtesy of DENR)
MANILA – The Busuanga Pasture Reserve in Palawan province has always been government-owned and was never owned by her family, Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga clarified on Friday.
Her family is likewise never a party to the negotiations being undertaken by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) for the utilization or distribution of the property, she said in an official statement.
“The Yulo family has never owned this land and has no interest in owning it,” Loyzaga said.
Loyzaga made the clarification to quash allegations on the alleged conflict of interest as DENR chief.
Some sectors claimed her family is the supposed owner of about 40,000 hectares of forests and ancestral domain in Palawan.
“I hope that this puts to rest all false allegations that came out only after I joined the DENR and started cleaning up the place to make sure only public interest prevails and is served,” she said.
The Busuanga Pasture Reserve was established by virtue of Proclamation No.1387 in 1975 by President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., located in the municipalities of Coron and Busuanga.
Executive Order 75, signed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Feb. 1, 2019, directs the DAR to facilitate the processing of idle and abandoned government-owned lands (GOLs) that can be covered under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.
In 2022, DAR said it distributed some 800 to 900 hectares of agricultural GOLs out of the total of 2,105 hectares of lot 699-Busuanga Cadastre and a portion of Yulo King Ranch to 786 agrarian reform beneficiaries.
On Thursday, Senator Raffy Tulfo filed a resolution seeking to investigate complaints on alleged violations in protected areas, including the Yulo King Ranch.
Senate Resolution 985 stated that "such allegations could undermine public trust in the DENR and affect its capability to effectively fulfill its mandate of making unbiased decisions regarding issues of similar nature, as well as protecting the environment and natural resources of the country.”
"It is imperative to investigate these allegations thoroughly to ensure that public officials adhere to the highest ethical standards, thereby safeguarding the public interest and maintaining trust in public institutions," the resolution read. (PNA)
