Vice Governor Julius Caesar Herrera last week said the Supreme Court decision declaring the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain unconstitutional is a welcome relief to Boholanos.
“Now we can be assured once again that there will be no drastic changes at least in the near future,” he said.
The vice-governor said that while the ruling did not seem to directly affect the Boholanos, it actually would have grave implications to many if it was put into effect.
Herrera pointed out that nearly eight out of 10 Boholano families have relatives who either own property or reside in Mindanao .
The vice-governor, who once served as city administrator of Gen. Santos City, said many Boholanos who have become prosperous in Mindanao support their families back home.
He noted that many Boholanos have acquired big landholdings in nearly every province and many have been elected to government positions.
Herrera said the Boholanos who arrived in Mindanao were known to be very industrious and hard-working in their adopted home.
The MOA however stirred unrest particularly among Christians out of fear that the land they tilled and owned will be taken away from them.
“If the MOA was implemented, there would be unrest in Mindanao because of the confusion that will result from it,” he added.
Herrera said this would have adversely affected the incomes of the Boholanos in Mindanao and naturally their families in Bohol.
The vice-governor said the High Court decision is an assurance to both Muslims and Christians in Mindanao because it means there will be no serious changes that will occur in the next few years.
“We in Bohol can heave a sigh of relief because it means our loved ones in Mindanao can expect their lives to return to normal,” he added.
The vice-governor took the occasion to remind Boholanos about the need to be self-sufficient particularly in their agricultural need.
“If the Boholanos in Mindanao were able to develop large tracts of land although they were not original settlers there, how much more should we who live in Bohol all our lives?” he asked.
Herrera, who is an advocate of backyard farming and agriculture, said Bohol should not be contented with its present agricultural production.
“There is still room for improvement so we should maximize our production,” he added.
The vice-governor lamented that there are still many idle lands in Bohol including those in the areas around the homes in the towns.
“If we cannot make use of the little lots in our backyard, we have no business complaining about the slow agricultural development of our province,” he added. – Sunday Post