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WHEREAS, the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP),
 a league of local government
units (LGUs) created under the
Local Government Code of
1991 (LGC), has served as a
venue for member municipalities
to articulate, ventilate and
crystallize
issues affecting municipal government
administration and secure
through proper and legal means
solutions to these issues;
WHEREAS, 832 (54%) of the 1,527 member municipalities of the
LMP are classified as coastal
municipalties;
WHEREAS, recent studies indicate that such coastal municipalities
are among the poorest of
the poor municipalities of the
Philippines;
WHEREAS, there is a need to develop a general program for coastal
municipalities that will
address, among others, the following
issues: coastal resource
management for food security;
poverty eradication in coastal
municipalities; jurisdictional
issues in municipal waters;
coastal law enforcement; and
financing mechanisms for
managing coastal resources;
WHEREAS, the government is now confronted with the serious
problem of depletion of
marine resources;
WHEREAS, infrastructure and facilities for an efficient and effective
implementation of coastal
management are seriously lacking;
WHEREAS, coastal LGU's generally do not have sufficient funds to
implement their municipal
coastal management and
development plan;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED THAT:
1) The League of Municipalities
of the Philippines through its
President Mayor Jinggoy
Estrada be urged to request His
Excellency President Joseph
Ejercito Estrada to direct the
proper agency to finally
establish water boundaries of coastal
municipalities within the
soonest possible time;
2) The Congress be urged
to amend the LGC to include
"municipal waters"
for purposes of IRA computation so as to
increase the LGUs' resources
to fund programs/projects for
the development/preservation
of marine resources;
3) His Excellency President
Joseph Ejercito Estrada be urged
to certify a bill as urgent
to Congress calling for the
amendment of the LGC to
enhance enforcement of existing
fisheries laws and to create
a special Task Force to be
headed by the local chief
executive to monitor the
implementation of the same;
4) The Congress be urged
to review existing laws, policies
and programs on coastal
resource management with the end
in view of according more
powers to local governments and
ensuring integration for
national development; henceforth,
a) Coastal LGUs be urged
to establish monitoring, control
and surveillance mechanisms
to come up with strategies
for the effective enforcement
of the country's fisheries law;
b) Coastal LGUs be urged
to formulate a comprehensive and
sustainable municipal coastal
resource management
development plan;
c) Coastal LGUs be urged
to organize their
municipal/barangay coastal
resource management
councils;
d) Coastal LGUs be urged
to source funds from
local/national funding agencies
in relation to the municipal
caostal resource management
development action plan
that may be formulated;
e) Coastal LGUs be urged
to strictly implement ordinances
imposing taxes/fees involving
marine products;
f) Coastal LGUs legislative
bodies be encouraged to pass
more ordinances that will
aim to increase coastal resource management
finances.
5) Congress be urged to
ensure the passage of the bill localizing
the Philippine National
Police so as to ensure effective
implementation of the country's
fisheries laws;
6) His Excellency, President
Joseph Ejercito Estrada be
requested to direct the
concerned national agency to issue the
corresponding Fisheries
Administrative Order (FAO) of RA
8550;
7) His Excellency President
Joseph Estrada be urged,
- to facilitate the delineation
of functions of various national
government agencies (DENR,
DILG, DA, among others),
public corporations (Laguna
Lake Development Authority,
Philippine Ports Authority,
among others), and the local
government with respect
to coastal resource management;
- to direct the Department
of Justice to adopt measures that
would strengthen enforcement
and prosecution mechanisms;
-· to fill up vacant
courts for speedy disposition of cases.
8) His Excellency President
Joseph Estrada be urged to provide
augmentation funds for coastal
resource management
programs and projects and
release the same directly to local
governments;
9) His Excellency President
Joseph Estrada be urged to certify
as urgent a bill giving
to local governments a portion of the
revenues raised and collected
by the Philippine Ports
Authority;
10) His Excellency President
Joseph Estrada appropriate the
necessary funds for the
purchase and maintenance of at least
two patrol boats for every
municipality;
11) The LMP be urged to
identify the different private and
government agencies that
may provide grants/funding sources
for coastal resource management;
12) The proper government
agency be urged to promulgate the
necessary rules and regulations
to ensure that local
government units (LGUs)
are oriented with their powers and
responsibilities under the
LGC with respect to the collection
of fees/taxes and other
regulatory revenues over coastal
resources;
13) Coastal LGUs be urged
to source funds from local/national
funding agencies in relation
to the municipal coastal resource
management development action
plan that may be
formulated;
14) The proper government
agency be urged to implement an
information and/or education
campaign where
seminars/conferences shall
be conducted to:
a) equip the LGUs with skills
to resort to alternative
livelihood programs;
b) orient the LGUs with
the different coastal resource
management financing schemes;
c) enlighten participants
with the need to preserve the
country's coastal resources.
15) Congress be urged to
enact a law creating a Department
of Fisheries and Aquatic
Resources.
Adopted.
May 28, 1999, City of Manila, Philippines.
Certified correct:
Mayor RAYMUNDO ROQUERO
Secretary-General
League of Municipalities
of the Philippines
Approved by:
Mayor JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA
National President
League of Municipalities of the Philippines
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