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[av_heading heading=’Saving Boracay’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’18’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
EDITORIAL
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Saturday, March 10, 2018
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THE DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has served notice on hundreds of establishments for various environmental protection and sanitation violations in Boracay Island. This is indicative of the magnitude of the problem there. While on the surface it would appear that it is business as usual for many Boracay establishments, experts at the DENR and Department of Tourism (DOT) know better.
It has taken no less than President Duterte himself to finally shock the local government of Malay, Aklan which has jurisdiction over Boracay and the island’s tourism stakeholders into a reality check. Will we have to wait until hundreds of tourists get sick when they ingest the contaminated waters of Boracay, and when the island has become too degraded to be rehabilitated? The time for action, indeed, is now.
A state of calamity declaration will enable the DOT, DENR and Malay to tap national and local calamity funds. This is also an opportunity to take some steps to assure the sustainability of Boracay as the country’s premiere tourist destination.
Some immediate steps that may be taken include scientific conduct of water testing with appropriate audit controls; identification of the specific coastal and inland areas of Boracay where water contamination is most hazardous to least problematic; mobilization of barangays and residents for massive and regular coastal cleanup and inland solid and liquid waste segregation; and formation and deployment of multisectoral task force, including volunteers from environment groups and local resident, working together in cooperation and common purpose.
Medium-term measures could include effecting sewerage infrastructure programs for the coastal and inland areas of Boracay; capability-upgrading for the local government of Malay and tourism establishments on sanitation and sustainable development program implementation; and audit and upgrading (if necessary) of Boracay health facilities for capability to respond to water-borne diseases,
The government may also declare parts of Boracay as protected areas.
For the long-term, the installation of a sewerage and sanitation system is a must, and building of needed support systems, including roads and transport facilities to improve Boracay as the country’s premiere tourist destination.
The tourism industry and local government in Boracay have long neglected sustainability concerns the DENR, environmentalists and researchers have been raising for years now. That must not happen again.
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