Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu admitted last Thursday that there is much to be done to ensure the sustainability of the world-famous Boracay Island.
This, as the country’s chief steward of the environment and natural resources and chairman of the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) tasked to rehabilitate Boracay said work will continue even the after the island resort is declared officially open for business on October 26.
Aside from water pollution, Boracay was besieged by numerous environmental and social problems, including poor solid-waste management, illegal squatting on forest land, wetland and beachfront area; biodiversity loss, perennial flooding and traffic congestion brought about by unsustainable tourism practices.
According to Cimatu, there are now “visible improvements” on Boracay Island after more than five months of rehabilitation, referring to the beachfront area that have been cleared of illegal structures, as he reiterated that Boracay is no longer a cesspool.
However, Cimatu added: “[But] this is not the time for us to relax and lower our guard. While much has been gained already, still, a lot remains to be done and we still ask for your extended patience, support and understanding.” He cited, for instance, the ongoing road and drainage improvement projects, which were delayed due to bad weather.
He said the BIATF lost around 30 to 40 days of work because of rains that forced workers to take a break most of the time. The BIATF led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources had started its dry run on October 15, wherein an all-Aklanon-batch of tourists was the first to be allowed to step on the island.
Boracay is scheduled for reopening on October 26, exactly six months after all three barangays on the island, Barangays Yapak, Balabag and Manoc-Manoc, in the municipality of Malay, Aklan, was declared under a state of calamity by President Duterte.