‘IT’S A SHAME!’ DOT: Poor sewer system in Boracay

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BY PRINCE GOLEZ
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January 11, 2018
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MANILA – Over 100 business establishments in Boracay Island would soon be held accountable for lack of proper sanitary sewer system.

“It’s a shame that Boracay, which has repeatedly been recognized by prestigious travel magazines as the world’s most beautiful island, may yet end up a lost paradise if water contamination continues,” warned Tourism secretary Wanda Teo.

Meeting with stakeholders in Boracay yesterday together with Environment secretary Roy Cimatu, Teo revealed that a draft executive order would be submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte to address the island’s environmental problems.

“We can only maintain Boracay’s picture-perfect qualities if we can strictly enforce responsible tourism,” said Teo.

Cimatu, on the other hand, said he would order a special inspection of wastewater treatment facilities in Boracay.

He challenged the hospitality industry to “actively participate” in the promotion and preservation of the resort island.

Prior to meeting Boracay’s stakeholders, the two Cabinet secretaries conducted an aerial inspection of the 1,032-hectare island.

Cimatu vowed to enforce the Philippine Clean Water Act in Boracay.

“We will test the water all over the island,” he said.

Last month, DENR warned 11 establishments in Boracay they faced closure should they fail to properly manage their wastewater.

Around 180 establishments were inventoried by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the DENR from July to October 2017.

The inventory found 11 establishments with unconnected sewerage system and their waste materials went directly to the drainage canal, said DENR regional director Jim Sampulna.

Arjunn Calvo of the EMB said establishments that completed the technical conference committed to “connect to the existing sewer line and close any discharge into the drainage canal.”

Establishments that failed to comply with their commitments after the technical conference risked having their environmental compliance certificates cancelled, said Sampulna.

The Department of Tourism also promised to cancel these establishments’ accreditation while the local government of Malay would do the same with their business permits, he added.

Meanwhile, the Boracay drainage system may be completed by the second quarter of next year to address flooding in the world-famous island, said Teo.

An additional P400 million will be allocated by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, an attached agency of the Department of Tourism, for the project.

The additional budget, expected to be approved this January, is on top of the P760 million allocated for the project last year.

With the additional budget, stages 1 to 4 of the drainage project’s Phase II will be simultaneously constructed to hasten its completion.

Just this December, an estimated 90 percent of the roads in Boracay were submerged in floodwaters due to tropical storm Urduja. (With a report from the Philippine News Agency/PN)
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