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BY LUIS BUENAFLOR JR.
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Wednesday, March 7, 2018
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THE HOTTEST issue over the weekend that hit “I Am Iloilo City” is that suspended congressman Jerry Treñas is seriously contemplating to run for mayor this coming local election – a complete turnaround from his public announcement 11 months ago that he is quitting politics.
As excepted Jerryboy’s reason is that he will do so because of popular demand, whatever that means.
Well, moi is not surprised; he’s a politician. And politicians are not generally known to keep their promises. And really, who cares?
So much for that; there are far more important and pressing issue than another “wishy washy” politician i.e. le affair Boracay.
The disaster that is Boracay is not purely an environmental issue; yes the island and its fragile environment are the one’s severely affected and damaged but what caused the disaster is greed and that is a purely human trait.
You want to do a Noynoy Aquino? You can start by blaming corrupt government officials without any political will, particularly the Malay local government unit or LGU and the Aklan Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office or PENRO.
For decades the abuse of Boracay has largely went unchecked; the unscrupulous profiteers made a mockery of environmental laws.
The biggest joke is the so-called “environmental fee” collected from all visitors to the island. Moi was a frequent visitor to Boracay and has never seen the simplest tool in keeping the island at least garbage-free – a proper garbage bin.
Here are excerpts from the March 3 issue of Panay News:
Where does Boracay’s environmental fee go?
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has created a 12-person team to investigate and file charges against local government officials and personnel and private individuals liable for the environmental problems of Boracay Island.
The team will, among others, look into the use of the environmental fee collected by the local government of Malay, Aklan if it is according to the law, said DILG officer-in-charge Eduardo Año.
The environmental fee is P75. It is collected from all tourists entering Boracay.
“Their investigation shall cover a period of 10 years, reckoning from the year 2008 up to 2018. I expect them to submit a comprehensive report on the result of their probe as soon as possible,” said Año.
The move is in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s instruction to the DILG and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to fix Boracay’s environmental woes in six months.
The island is under the jurisdiction of Malay town.
“We’ll make sure that those responsible would be held liable,” said Año.
The Boracay Investigating Team (BIT) would do its probe on government officials and employees soon, especially those involved in giving permits to establishments.
“All those directly involved in the issuance of permits to areas that are operating establishments illegally and conniving with officials will not be spared from this investigation,” said Año.
Aside from the overpopulation and overdevelopment the main problem of Boracay is sewage as unscrupulous establishments just discharge their shit into the waters, turning the once pristine waters of Boracay into a “cesspool.”
More excerpts from the March 1 issue of Panay News:
Boracay bizmen scrimp on wastewater treatment
Boracay Island businesses may soon find themselves paying a heavy price for their unwillingness to spend for wastewater treatment.
There are wastewater treatment plants in the island but some business establishments do not want to pay to be connected to these sewage systems.
To be connected, an establishment needed to pay P1.3 million, said Henry Chusuey, chairman of the Boracay Foundation.
“They don’t want to pay (so) they just (discharge their wastewater) in (to the) drainage system,” he lamented.
Chusuey believed Boracay’s wastewater problem could be solved even “in two or three months” if stakeholders only follow environmental rules starting with being connected to the island’s wastewater treatment plants.
The treatment plants are operated by Boracay Island Water Company (BIWC) – in Barangay Manoc-manoc and in Barangay Balabag – and by Boracay Tubi System, Inc.
“If there are no violators, there would be no dirty water in Boracay,” said Chusuey.
BIWC’s sewage treatment plant in Barangay Balabag can process 6.5 million liters of wastewater daily. Its other one in Barangay Manoc-manoc can handle 5 million liters.
Chusuey lamented the lack of enforcement of environmental laws in Boracay and called out the local government of Malay which has jurisdiction over the island.
“The mayor there… Ciceron Cawaling. I don’t know why he is not doing anything…maybe the people had supported him or his or his relatives, friends, that’s the problem. Once he stops that and all the (waste) water will go to (the) sewage treatment plan, there will be no dirty water on the drainage, simple as that,” said Chusuey.
“We cannot afford to lose Boracay…the President is doing his best to stop the deterioration of Boracay…because the local government did not do anything before,” said Chusuey.
According to Environment secretary Roy Cimatu, fuelling the island’s degradation over the years were runaway development, the influx of people beyond the island’s carrying capacity, poor implementation of environmental regulations, and encroachment of structures.
Quite simple really. Greed, lack of political will and corruption destroyed Boracay. (brotherlouie16@gmail.com/PN)
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