Enforce construction ban in Boracay, Atienza tells local officials
Environment Secretary Lito Atienza reminded local officials of Malay, Aklan of their responsibility to protect the environment, rebutting claims on the need for him to “request” the municipal council to issue a resolution to uphold his call for a moratorium on all construction on Boracay island.
In an interview, Atienza said he wrote the Malay municipal government immediately after he read reports that construction continues in Boracay because the municipal council could not come out with the resolution without a request letter from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) chief who issued the moratorium order, following complaints from resort owners on overcrowding of the area.
“They are a bit lost,” Atienza told The STAR. “The local government unit (LGU) is mandated to protect their environment and preserve the same under the law.”
“During the dialogue, the LGU was there, even the chairman of its committee on environment,” he added. “So there is no more need to remind them of their responsibility. But after reading that news report, I nevertheless wrote them to remind them of their duty.”
Atienza, former mayor of
“The LGU responsibility is to urgently act on concerns raised by their constituents,” Atienza stressed, pointing out that the responsibility of the LGU to protect and preserve their surroundings is mandated under the Constitution and Local Government Code of the
On Tuesday, Malay Vice Mayor John Yap confirmed that construction at the premier tourist destination of the country continues, as he admitted that the municipal government has yet to issue any resolution calling for a moratorium on construction on the island because the DENR has not formally “communicated” to them a “request” for such moratorium.
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