The comprehensive reclamation strategy of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s administration has yielded over P100 billion in revenues for the Philippines Reclamation Authority (PRA), allowing the agency to advance its game-changing projects aiming to restore the glory of the country’s landscape.
Just in the second year of President Marcos’ term in 2023, the PRA posted revenues amounting to P115 billion, a giant leap of over P110 billion from the P3.54-billion revenue recorded by PRA in 2022.
Owing to this presidential legacy, the PRA is now one of the most profitable agencies in the country, making it more prepared to continue projects to enhance government lands.
And driven by this inspiring development, PRA Chair Alex Lopez is aiming for a higher goal — to help PRA further increase its assets to P1.3 trillion during his term.
But to achieve that, Lopez has to subscribe to the President’s good planning which results to good revenues.
And good revenues result to the provision of social and environmental justice.
That is one of the guiding principles of President Marcos as he charts the country’s economic recovery program and acts on his goal to finally put the Philippines over the hump of economic regression and turn the nation into the path of higher economic growth.
Under the President’s guidance, and his Bagong Pilipinas battlecry for unity and change, the entire government has surged back from its post-pandemic torpor, especially the agencies in charge of social development, economic planning, and infrastructure.
The President’s edict to sustain current economic gains, and restore the country’s development trajectory is in consonance with his commitment to bring together the government’s resources to bear with his goal to attain maximum benefit and development for Filipinos.
This desire includes all reclamation projects in the country.
The President has initiated a comprehensive strategy towards reclamation which includes accounting for environmental concerns, balancing economic benefits and sustainable development to protect the interests of future generations.
The PRA — the overseer of all reclamation projects in the country — has fully heeded the President’s wishes which could explain why even as the PRA has become stringent in its reclamation policies, it also recorded the huge net revenue leap.
Formerly the Public Estates Authority (PEA), the PRA was established on February 4, 1977, through Presidential Decree No. 1084 “to serve primarily as the clearinghouse for all reclamation projects in the country.”
It is the primary government agency responsible for coordinating and directing
all reclamation projects on a national scale and reports directly to the Office of the President.
The PRA is specifically mandated to ensure the proper process of the restoration of Philippine lands. It is thus authorized to develop and/or dispose of public lands, enter into agreements with entities both private and public, and exercise the right of eminent domain on behalf of the country.
The agency is one of the largest landowners and developers in the Philippines, and part of its holdings include vast tracts of prime land all throughout the country.
By law, all developers of reclaimed land must pay a 51% share to PRA, making it one of the more profitable government agencies. Valuations of PRA’s landholdings range from a conservative estimate of P150 billion to close to nearly P1 trillion.
Even with such a staggering estimation, the PRA stands to gain still more through expansion into the country’s coastlines — a potential that the agency is already tapping into through reclamation projects such as those it is already undertaking in areas such as Pasay City’s coastal areas along Manila Bay.
The boost in the PRA’s assets is largely due to Chairman Lopez’s efforts for the agency to faithfully comply with the direction of President Marcos to ensure that all reclamation projects underwent a comprehensive review of their viability and compliance with strict environmental regulations.
The agency began to focus on inclusion and resilience in a dynamic and increasingly competitive market and a changing climate.
Hence, it further instituted a coastal protection plan that includes an integrated long-term vision, including any PPP funding opportunities, and connect to other plans or master plans for reconstruction in partnership with the government of the Netherlands.
These strategies made possible the agency’s successes in partnering with local government units in Tacloban City, Palo (in Leyte), Bislig City and Surigao City, among others.
However, even with the agency turning into a powerhouse on the level of other mega-corporations, its holdings still do not include thousands of hectares of illegally reclaimed land.
Illegal reclamation, according to the agency’s administrative order, can have two classifications.
The first is simply illegal reclamation, done without any permits being secured in any government agencies whatsoever.
The second, classified as unauthorized reclamation, is reclamation that may have secured permits from agencies such as Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), local government units, or other government agencies — but have not been duly authorized by the PRA itself.
In response, the agency launched a new organization that will allow it to pursue a more thorough investigation of reclamation activities, to better determine which lands rightfully belong to the state.
For each “illegally reclaimed” land that is returned to the National Government, the agency asserts, there is always a beneficiary who is served by its restoration.
Through the Presidential Decree No. 3-A (PD3-A) issued by President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. on January 11, 1973, the PRA can curb illegal reclamation activities, as it enables the National Government to declare illegal and forfeit all reclamation that does not secure the approval of the PRA.
PD3-A was further strengthened with the issuance of Administrative Order No. 2005-1 providing the rules and procedures for the special registration of unauthorized/illegal reclamation projects.
Administrative Order No. 2008-3, on the other hand, provides for the rules and procedures to facilitate the processing of applications for titling of completed unauthorized or illegal reclamation through the PRA.
Whereas Administrative Order No. 2021-01 sets forth the rules and procedures for the forfeiture of unauthorized and illegal reclamations through titling under the name of the PRA.
The foregoing issuances designed to regulate unauthorized reclamation had further bolstered the authority of the PRA as the government’s primary agency that is responsible for safeguarding Philippine lands.
In fulfillment thereof, the PRA judiciously identifies unauthorized or illegal reclamation projects undertaken without approval of the agency or the President of the Philippines, and thereafter conducts the necessary groundwork in reviewing, assessing, and processing the special registration or forfeiture proceedings of the subject lands.
In cooperation with the DENR, the PRA proceeds to endorse such cases to the President for the issuance of a Presidential Proclamation and the subsequent titling of the identified lands.
In 2023, the PRA submitted five sites for endorsement to the President, with an aggregate area of 15.71 hectares located variously in Zamboanga, Bataan, Cebu, Quezon, and Masbate City.
The foregoing accomplishments highlights the agency’s dedication to managing unauthorized reclamation and the rightful restoration in the name of the Republic of the Philippines.
PRA Chairman Lopez emphasizes that reclamation plays a crucial role in “creating opportunities for economic empowerment, particularly in marginalized communities” for which he summons for a concerted effort for the regularization of reclaimed lands for the economic benefit of the nation.
Amid many challenges, the Philippine Reclamation Authority is committed to supporting President Marcos’ “Bagong Pilipinas” through the facilitation of its reclamation activities.
The regularization of illegal reclamation activities allows the agency to contribute to the President’s plans for economic advancement and sustainable development in the Philippines, ensuring long-term prosperity for the Filipino people.