The city government of has reiterated its earlier directive to all barangay officials to guard and protect their respective areas of jurisdiction against illegal construction and operation of private ports and to report the same to the local government unit.

The directive was contained in Resolution No.1 series of 2018 of Task Force Pantalan, a copy of which was released by the City Administrator’s Office, calling the attention of all officials of the city’s 98 barangays help protect the city’s maritime territory against lawless elements, smuggling and human protecting by making sure there are no illegally constructed and/or operated ports in their respective areas of responsibility.

The resolution calls for the barangay officials to report to the local government the presence of illegal ports, if there is any, in their respective villages.

Meanwhile, the City Administrator’s Office has also reiterated TF Pantalan’s Resolution No. 2 series of 2018, recommending the issuance of non-compliance to all ports without the necessary license or permit from appropriate government agencies.

The resolution was an offshoot of Executive Order No. BC 217-2016, reconstituting and expanding the membership of TF Pantalan and called for the conduct of inspections on all private and government piers or wharves in the coastal areas of Zamboanga City.

As a result of said inspection, the task force found out several piers and wharves operating without the necessary licenses or permits from appropriate agencies of government.

Thus, it was recommended that notice of non-compliance be issued to operators of those illegally constructed ports/piers or wharves.

The notice contained information as to the particular law, policy, rules or regulations of appropriate government agencies that were violated by operators/owners, giving them 30 days to comply with the requirements upon receipt of the notice.-(Vic Larato)