Boracay to undergo rehabilitation
KALIBO, Aklan -- Boracay will undergo a massive environmental rehabilitation which will address its pressing environmental concerns.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Regional Executive Director Lormelyn Claudio, in a dialogue with the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) here Thursday, said that based on the results of their investigations, there have been many environmental-related violations in the island and the only way to remedy these is for their department to take over and rehabilitate this resort.
"We still respect the authorities of the Department of Tourism, the Philippine Tourism Authority and the local government unit. We also hope they will respect us in terms of environmental policies," Claudio said.
The investigation of Boracay's environment was made necessary by the reported flooding of key areas in the resort island in December.
Also, tourists reportedly have smelled a stinking odor from several areas of this resort island.
During the dialogue, Claudio presented their proposed Boracay Master Plan to the SP that incorporates the technical, organizational, and institutional aspects of environmental protection and rational developments for this resort island.
"With the completion of the Boracay Master Plan, we will now proceed to the creation of a Comprehensive Land Use and Development Plan which will be adopted by the Regional Development Council and the National Economic Development Authority," Claudio said.
Although she did not disclose the duration of the taking over of the DENR, she said that this may take a long time because the resort island as an environmentally-sensitive tourism destination must be continually taken care of for a sustainable tourism.
"We are also bent on creating the multi-partite monitoring team whose funding will be shouldered by the stakeholders of Boracay," Claudio said. She called this as the environmental monitoring fund.
Based on the DENR's investigation, only 38 percent of Boracay's forest cover is now remaining while the caves, wetlands and forest areas have been encroached by some private stakeholders.
Currently, the DENR is not issuing Environmental Compliance Certificates to new investors until the six-month moratorium set is lifted. (PNA)