BORACAY – The rehabilitation of this island resort continues halfway into its six-month closure.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources promised that the government is “on track” with its plan to reopen the tourist destination on Oct. 26.
“Actually, after less than one month, I can say that we were already done with the job because we have already identified the problems and the solutions,” Regional Director Jim Sampulna said Wednesday.
“We are now in the rehabilitation stage,” he said.
When Boracay reopens the DENR will review all the establishments’ compliance with environmental laws, said Sampulna.
The island is expected to have cleaner beaches and wider roads, too, once it starts accommodating tourists again, he said.
If locals fully cooperate, the “soft opening” scheduled in September will push through, Sampulna added.
President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the island closed for six months effective April 26 after calling it a “cesspool” due to its wastewater and garbage management problems.
The Environmental Management Bureau, an attached agency of the DENR, has issued notices of violation to 478 establishments in Boracay for violation of environmental laws.
Of these, 157 have been endorsed to the Pollution Adjudication Board. Thirty-five of the establishments have been slapped with penalties ranging from P60,000 to P80,000.
Meanwhile, the clearing of roads and demolition of structures for road widening is “85-percent complete,” said Department of Public Works and Highways assistant regional director Al Fruto.
In addition, the P490-million rehabilitation and improvement of the 4.12-kilometer main road from the Cagban port to the Elizalde property is “15-percent complete,” he added.
Earlier, Environment secretary Roy Cimatu said Boracay is no longer a cesspool, stressing that the White Beach – the most visited portion of the island resort – is already clean.
Coliform concentration of the water at the beachfront, based on daily and weekly quality tests performed by the EMB Region 6, is already on the “safe” level at 400 MPN (most probable number) per 100 ml (milliliters).
Department of Tourism regional director Helen Catalbas said she envisions Boracay with “less potholes, wider streets and very clean beach.”
She said the Oct. 26 reopening will be “low key” and “will not be grand because rehabilitation is a work in progress.”
“We are tentatively targeting 5,000 accredited rooms on opening day,” she said. “As we go along with the compliance of the tourism establishments – particularly the accommodation sector – to the requirements of the government, we are looking at 7,500 or 50 percent of the actual room capacity of the island by the end of 2018.” (PNA)
