‘Boracay rehab completion seen by mid-2022’

MANILA, Philippines — The Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force is on track to complete the rehabilitation of Boracay Island by the first half of 2022, Environment Secretary and BIATF chair Roy Cimatu said over the weekend.

“With the leadership of all the task force member-agencies and the provincial government of Aklan as well as the cooperation of the locals and all stakeholders, we are close to finishing our major tasks so we can turn over a better Boracay to the next management team,” Cimatu said in a statement.

The BIATF – co-chaired by the departments of tourism and interior and local government – was created on May 8, 2018 through Executive Order 83.

“To reverse the degradation of the island, we have to work on all issues that caused its deterioration. These include recovering the beach areas and cleaning its waters, regaining the wetlands, restoring the ecosystem, and clearing and paving roads that are designated for public transport,” Cimatu said.

He said the enforcement of the 25+5- meter beach easement rule is expected to be completed by April 2022.

The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB)-Western Visayas regularly monitors the water quality of the island as part of the rehabilitation’s pollution control and prevention aspect.

The EMB will inspect the Lugutan and Tulubhan Bay areas due to reports of illegal water discharges coming from households that have yet to be connected to the sewer system. – Rhodina Villanueva