Senate declares Biliran as a Tourism Development Area

The Senate today approved on third and final reading a bill seeking to declare Biliran as a Tourism Development Area.

Senator Lito Lapid, chair of the Senate Tourism Committee and sponsor of Senate Bill No. 3252, said the proposed legislation has been approved taking into consideration House Bill Nos. 3066, 3067, 3068, 3069, 3070 and 3071, which were filed by Rep. Rogelio Espina of Biliran. Under the proposed measure, zones to be included as tourism development areas are Sambawan Island in Maripipi town; mangrove area of Looc in Cabucgayan; Casabangan Falls also in Cabucgayan; Tinago Falls in Caibiran and Bagongbong Falls in Almeria.

Biliran is located in the Eastern Visayas Region which is a few miles north of Leyte Island. The province is composed of eight municipalities and 132 barangays. The main island has slightly flat to rolling and rough terrain. It has narrow coastal areas or lowlands with mountainous interiors except for the municipalities of Naval and Caibiran that have wider plains and rolling terrain extending about seven kilometers from the coast. Mountain ranges occupy the major portion of the island municipality of Maripipi.

Meanwhile, the Senate also approved on final reading House Bill No. 3759, amending the charter of Baguio City.

The said measure was sponsored by Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., chair of the Senate Local Government Committee.

The approval of the bill ended land speculation, especially in awarding alienable and disposable lands, which were among the major issues raised in the revised charter aside from the payment of higher real property taxes in the city. (OLIVE CAUNAN, PRIB)