Executive Summary

This Municipal Foreshore Development and Management Plan (2021 – 2030) is

a plan that outlines the municipality’s specific programs on the development uses of the
foreshore areas surrounding the town. It provides key program list that ensures
sustainable development usage of the foreshore area and recognizing its potential in
enhancing the economic, and social value of the municipality while promoting its
protection.
This plan is anchored on The Provincial Foreshore Development and
Management Plan of Eastern Samar prepared by DENR in 2019-2020 with the following
goals:
a) Ensuring public safety and security of coastal communities from disaster risks
and environmental hazards
b) Ensure harmonization of foreshore management with coastal ecosystem and
urban ecosystem management.
c) Ensure equitable access to foreshore land assets and services.
d) Ensure sustained aesthetic and economic values of foreshore land assets.

At the same time, this plan will provide a policy environment that will encourage
the participation of the whole community to optimize mitigation opportunities towards
sustainable development.

A number of planned programs/projects/actions in the Taft MFDMP are in

addition to, or an enhancement of existing plans and programs of the municipality. The
identified programs in the MFAMP 2021-2030 may later be incorporated in the
municipality development plans such as the Comprehensive Land Use Plan and
Comprehensive Development Plan, or the Local Development Investment Plan and
Annual Investment Plan as these updated annually.

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 1. Rationale of the Plan

The Philippine Archipelago is surrounded with bodies of water and has one of the
longest shoreline in the world. It is composed of more than 7,100 islands, and with
coastline of approximately 36,289 kilometers long.

It is only proper for the government to come up with a foreshore area master
plan, hence the formulation of the Municipal Foreshore Development and
Management Plan of Taft, Eastern Samar adapted from The Provincial Foreshore
Development and Management Plan of Eastern Samar prepared by DENR in 2019-
2020.

This plan is in response to the effects of extreme weather conditions brought

about by climate change affecting mostly coastal communities and foreshore areas.
Pollution and foreshore degradation due to informal settlements and illegal quarrying
is also alarming.

Taft, Eastern Samar lies in the eastern seaboard of the Philippine archipelago
which is highly prone to tropical cyclones and storm surges. Ten (10) out of 24
barangays in the municipality are in coastal areas that are highly exposed to climate
hazards.

Foreshore areas are sites of multiple uses. Thus, it should be managed with the
end view of maximizing benefits from such uses while maintaining its ecological
integrity. This means that specific areas in the foreshore should be put to its best use
taking into consideration the adjacent areas as well as the sum total benefits
provided by these contiguous areas. Hence, this plan of protecting, managing and
regulating the use of foreshore areas.

a. Planning Horizon

The Foreshore Development and Management Plan of Taft, Eastern Samar is a

nine-year (9) plan to reflect the term of office of the Local Chief Executive. Meaning,
the Plan will cover 3 terms of the Local Chief Executive whoever he or she maybe.

b. Definition of Foreshore Area

Foreshore area refers to that part of the shore which is alternately covered by
and uncovered by the ebb and flow of tide. It is further defined as a string of land
margining a body of water; the part of a seashore between the low water line usually
as the seaward margin of a low tide terrace and the upper limit of wave wash at high
tide usually marked by a beach scarp or berm. (See Fig. 1)
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 2. Description of Planning Area
a. Physical Environment
i. Geographical Location
ii. Land Area
iii. Political Subdivision
iv. Topography
v. Land Cover
vi. Climate and Soil Type
vii. Land Classification
b. Land and Water Resources
i. Mineral Reserves
ii. Water Resources
1. River Basins
2. Watershed Areas
iii. Forest Resources
iv. Mangrove Resources
v. Fishery and Aquatic Resources

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 1. Marine Fishery Resources
2. Inland Water Resources
3. Marine Reserve Areas
4. Fish Sanctuaries

3. Foreshore Areas of Taft, Eastern Samar

Taft has a total foreshore area of 423.30 hectares covering ten (10) coastal
barangays with a total length of 39.80 kilometers1.

The following are the coastal barangays with foreshore areas as identified by the
DENR:
1. Barangay Bati-awan
2. Barangay San Luis
3. Barangay Nato
4. Barangay 06, Poblacion
5. Barangay 02, Poblacion
6. Barangay 04, Poblacion
7. Barangay 01, Poblacion
8. Barangay Polangi
9. Barangay Dacul
10. Barangay Mantang

4. Foreshore Area Occupants/Settlers

Based on the survey conducted by the PENRO-EASTERN SAMAR, the total
foreshore occupants in Taft is 154 households. Barangay 06 Poblacion and Barangay
Nato have the largest foreshore occupants with a total of 64 while the smallest is in Bati-
awan with only four households.

Barangay Number of Use

Occupants /
Households
01 Pob 27 Residential
Nato 32 Residential
Bati 4 Residential
Dacul 7 Residential
02 Pob 21 Residential
Mantang 31 Residential
06 Pob 32 Residential

1
The Provincial Foreshore Development and Management Plan of Eastern Samar, page 20
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 5. Existing and Proposed Projects in Foreshore Area
There are existing and proposed projects in the foreshore are composed mostly
of infrastructures such as seawall, breakwaters, fish landing, and beach parks.

Barangay Remarks
Name of Project
Seawall Existing
Community Fish Landing Center Existing
Construction of Transport Terminal 1 Proposed
01 Pob Construction of Boulevard as alternate Proposed
route with seawall and tide embankment
Establishment of Green Park Stretch Proposed
Construction of Jetty Port Proposed
Breakwater Existing
Construction of Transport Terminal 2 Proposed
Construction of Boulevard as alternate Proposed
02 Pob
route with seawall and tide embankment
Establishment of Green Park Stretch Proposed
(Esplanade)
06 Pob Breakwater Existing
Construction of Boulevard as alternate Proposed
route with seawall and tide embankment
Establishment of Green Park Stretch Proposed
(Esplanade)
Mangrove Rehabilitation Proposed
04 Pob
Construction of Boulevard as alternate Proposed
route with seawall and tide embankment
Establishment of Green Park Stretch Proposed
Nato Seawall Existing
Mangrove Rehabilitation Proposed
San Luis Mangrove Rehabilitation Proposed
Bati-awan Mangrove Rehabilitation
Polangi Construction of Boulevard as alternate Proposed
route with seawall and tide embankment
Dacul Construction of Boulevard as alternate Proposed
route with seawall and tide embankment
Mantang Construction of Boulevard as alternate Proposed
route with seawall and tide embankment
Mangrove Rehabilitation Proposed

6. Legislative and Policy Setting

RA 7160 otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991 provides
power to LGUs to enact laws and policies to regulate, protect and manage shore lands.
There are no specific ordinances among LGUs in Eastern Samar pertaining to the
regulation and management of foreshore areas. The reason maybe is that such laws
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 and policies are already within the legal mandate of national government agencies such
as DENR, BFAR, HLURB, NWRC, PPA, DPWH, DOT and PRA. These agencies are
mandated to carry out the enforcement of national laws and policies on the management
of projects within foreshore areas.

Management of the foreshore is characterized by institutional overlaps as shown

in Table below:

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 7. State of Foreshore Area
a. Issues and Problems in Foreshore Areas

Based on the profiling and focus group discussions conducted by the PFDM
Planning Team in Eastern Samar, the most common problems gathered in foreshore
areas are the proliferation of informal settlers/illegal occupants, improper solid waste
disposal, illegal reclamation, quarrying and illegal building of structures.

b. Institutional Issues

At the institutional level, jurisdictional conflicts and institutional overlaps further

creates problems. The overlapping functions and powers of the different agencies
involved in land administration, particularly the foreshore lands led to the absence of
proper regulation. This gap has resulted in weak planning, monitoring and
enforcement.

Policy instruments issued by national government institutions and agencies tend

to be incompatible with each other, as one agency’s mandate may be different from
the other.

With this plethora of laws and policies, the optimal use of foreshore areas that
will provide benefit the people is hampered. Moreover, an individual, association or
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 private corporation maybe confused and would encounter difficulties in getting permit
considering that some of these agencies have no provincial or local offices.

Again, the LGUs being the front liners in resource management that would
include foreshore, are in a better position to coordinate effective foreshore
management and development, including the issuance of instruments covering
foreshore areas within their respective jurisdictions, with concerned government
agencies. LGUs may also resort to their local legislative powers to regulate foreshore
use.

8. Problems, Issues and Opportunities

a. Problems and Issues
i. Weak enforcement
The focus group discussion facilitated by the PENRO team
ii. Determining the Appropriate Use of Foreshore Areas

iii. Public Safety

Public safety is compromised when private entities start build

privately-owned structures standing on the extremely narrow strips of land
or cliff-faces between coastal roads/highways and the foreshore, or on
the foreshore itself.
Through the steady rate on a day-today basis of coastal erosions
or when intensified during a storm activity. This erosion poses great
danger as these infrastructures may collapse without warning at any
given time especially when structural foundations were undermined.

iv. Classification
v. Access
vi. Resource Use

b. Opportunities
i. Eco-Tourism Development

Taft has a long foreshore area that stretches up to 39.80 kilometers. This
consists of beaches and mangrove forest that has potential for ecotourism.

ii. Economic Opportunities

Through mangrove rehabilitation and coral protection, diverse marine

species are provided with habitat and spawning ground which can increase fish
production. Increase in the production of fish and other marine species provides
added income and livelihood to fishing community.
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 iii. Alternate Local Road Network

With Republic Act 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code,
tricycles, motorcabs, pedicabs and the likes are banned on national road. The
proposed coastal management projects include a seawall with a boulevard

iv. Disaster Mitigation

9. Emerging Constraints to Foreshore Area Management
a. Coastal Hazards
10. The Municipal Foreshore Management Framework
a. The Interrelatedness of Terrestrial Forest Ecosystem, Lowland Ecosystem
to Foreshore Area and Marine Ecosystem
b. Foreshore Area Management Zoning Options (Other Uses)
11. Management Structure and Institutional Arrangement
a. Municipal Foreshore Area Management Board (MFAMB)
b. Foreshore Area Management Council (FAMC)
12. Vision, Goals, and Objectives
a. Vision
b. Goals
c. Objectives
13. Planning Horizon
14. Strategies and Activities
15. Criteria in Determining Best Use of Foreshore Area
16. General Management Zones in the Foreshore Area
17. Clustering of Barangays
18. Evaluation Process of Foreshore

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