ENVIRONMENT Secretary Roy A. Cimatu on Wednesday urged concerned local government officials to develop a long-term plan for Panglao, an island municipality in Bohol.
While lauding the current efforts of the Bohol provincial government and other Panglao stakeholders, Cimatu underscored the need to plan for the island’s long-term development in order to ensure the sustainability of its environment.
In a statement, Cimatu said just like Boracay, Panglao is one of the country’s top tourist destinations famous for its white-sand beaches and world-class diving spots.
Cimatu had earlier recommended to President Duterte to close Boracay to temporarily stop tourism activities on the island. The environment chief was directed by President Duterte to lead the task force to address the environmental problems besetting the country’s top tourist destination.
Boracay is an island in Malay, Aklan. Cimatu said a long-term development plan for Panglao should cover the potential influx of tourists into the island in the next 30 years.
“The plans you are making are good for now. But I want to see a development plan for Panglao for the next 30 years,” Cimatu told members of the Panglao Island and Tagbilaran Executive Council (Pitec) led by Bohol Gov. Edgar Chatto, during their
meeting on Monday.
Pitec is a coordinating and advisory body composed of local government executives and stakeholder representatives from Tagbilaran City and the two municipalities that make up Panglao Island: Dauis and Panglao.
The council aims to facilitate the development of Panglao, especially in anticipation of the impacts of the construction of an international airport on the island.
Officials of the Deparment of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and its Environmental Management Bureau regional office in Central Visayas presented water-quality sampling results, as well as the list of establishments violating easement laws during the meeting.
The Pitec secretariat also presented policy actions and initiatives to address the island’s environmental concerns, which include a proposed wastewater-treatment facility in the world-famous Alona Beach.
Cimatu commended these efforts, but warned on the expected effects that the completion of the international airport would bring.