MANILA – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said that the water quality in the well-famed Boracay Island in Malay, Aklan has improved.
DENR secretary Roy Cimatu said in a virtual press conference on Thursday that the safe level of water in Boracay is 100 mpn/100 ml for Class SB water which is suitable for swimming, skin diving and other recreational activities. He expressed gladness about the present water quality in the island as it is set reopen to Western Visayas tourists on June 16.
“Malinis na kung maka 100. Kung mas mababa yan sa 100, mas malinis. So, ang average na nakukuha ko dito ay 1.0, from February. Pinakataas lang dito ay 20, so yan ang standard ngayon ng water quality dito sa Boracay. Wala na ‘yung cesspool. Gumanda pa lalo ng walang nag si-swimming,” Cimatu said.
He added that from January to June, the highest average was at 7.1 while the average water quality last year was at 1.0 until December.
DENR director and Boracay Inter-Agency Rehabilitation Management Group general manager Natividad Bernardino, for her part, said since day one of the island’s closure, commercial establishments have already been required to connect to a sewerage system or to have their own sewerage treatment plant (STP).
“Ang mga houses kailangan lagyan ng mga clusterized STP para connected na rin sila. But so far, lahat ng commercial establishments hindi pwedeng mag operate kung hindi sila connected or kung wala silang sewage,” she said.
Going back, Cimatu admitted that there are still structures built on Boracay’s forest lands. The owners were already given an ultimatum to take out their structures on the areas, but the implementation was postponed due to coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
“They should really make their presence there legal by making an appeal. Otherwise, ma-demolish talaga ‘yung kanilang building,” Cimatu said.(With a report from PNA/PN)
