Sicogon residents ask DAR to revoke land conversion orders

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

QUEZON CITY — Representatives of Sicogon Island residents in Carles, Iloilo, brought their case to the Department of Agrarian Reform’s central office on Wednesday, May 20, asking the agency to cancel the conversion of former agricultural land into commercial property and citing broken promises by the Ayala-led consortium developing the island.

In a 15-page Petition for Partial Revocation, the Buaya Farmers and Fisherfolks Association and members of the broader Federation of Sicogon Island Farmers and Fisherfolk Association are seeking the partial revocation of DARCO Order No. CON-1602-053, issued in 2016, and DARCO Order No. LUCC-1019-0147, issued in 2019.

The groups are asking DAR to identify, segregate, and distribute the contested areas to qualified agrarian reform beneficiaries, and to issue a cease and desist order preventing further commercial activity on the island while the petition is pending.

The orders cover portions of the 334.6436-hectare property in Barangays Alipata, Buaya, and San Fernando.

The property was allocated for residential relocation, agriculture, and community use under agreements between the communities and developers Sicogon Development Corp., Ayala Land Inc., and Sicogon Island Tourism Estate Corp.

According to SITEC’s General Information Sheet obtained by Daily Guardian, the company is majority-owned by Ayala Hotels and Resorts Corp. at 76.92 percent, with SIDECO holding 15.58 percent and ALI 5.49 percent, and the remainder in smaller or common shares.

The petitioners clarified that they are “not seek[ing] the total revocation of the entire covered property comprising 334.6436 hectares,” but only of “specific residential, agricultural, relocation, and community-use areas expressly allocated and committed to Petitioners.”

That area includes 30 hectares of residential relocation land and 32 hectares of agricultural land allocations in Barangays Buaya, Alipata, and San Fernando designated for FESIFFA members, as well as three hectares of residential relocation land and seven hectares of agricultural land in Buaya for BUFFA.

The groups alleged that the respondents failed to comply with obligations under the 2014 Compromise and Framework Agreement, the 2021 amended CFA, and related agreements tied to the land conversion approval.

Under the 2014 CFA, SIDECO and ALI committed to providing 30 hectares for residential relocation, 40 hectares for agricultural land distribution, PHP 38 million for livelihood and training assistance, and PHP 76 million for resettlement infrastructure and amenities.

The petition alleged that the respondents violated mandatory conditions attached to the conversion order, including an alleged failure to remit the full livelihood and training fund.

“[T]here remains an outstanding and unremitted balance of PHP 32 million due to the community,” the petition stated.

The groups also claimed that the promised relocation and housing projects remain incomplete.

The petition stated that the respondents failed to develop the full 30-hectare residential relocation site, with only 3.6753 hectares completed as of the government’s inspection.

They further alleged that the respondents failed to construct fish landing facilities required under the amended CFA and did not fully use the PHP 76 million land development fund intended for amenities and access roads.

The groups also alleged noncompliance with housing subsidy commitments for 784 validated FESIFFA households, and a failure to provide access roads to agricultural areas allocated for conventional farming.

Condition No. 6 of the 2016 DAR conversion order required completion of the development plan within five years.

“[Condition No. 6] explicitly provides that failure to implement the development plan within the prescribed period shall result in the automatic coverage of the property under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program,” the petition pointed out.

“As of February 2026, Respondents have failed to complete the development and have not delivered the promised socio-economic benefits,” the groups argued.

The filing also cited a March 6, 2019 cease and desist order issued by DAR against the developers over alleged violations and noncompliance.

That order was lifted a few months later, in October 2019, but the agency “sternly warned” SIDECO and ALI to fully comply with their CFA undertakings.

“[SIDECO’s and ALI’s] continued non-compliance demonstrates bad faith and justifies revocation,” the petition said, referring to the 2019 order.