Aboitiz turns over Boracay wetland park to DENR, LGU

MANILA, Philippines — The Aboitiz Group has turned over the newly rehabilitated Wetland No. 4 or the Balabag Wetland Park in Boracay to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as well as to the local government of Malay, Aklan.

The turnover, held on June 16, came after four years of transforming the then “wasteland” into what is now a wetland park.

As a testament to the company’s commitment to preserve the environment and protect Boracay, the one-hectare lagoon area in Barangay Balabag was transformed into a linear urban park in partnership with the DENR-Western Visayas, Biodiversity Management Bureau, Department of Public Works and Highways, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) and the Department of Tourism.

The turnover was witnessed by DENR acting Secretary Jim Sampulna, former DENR secretary Roy Cimatu, Aklan Gov. Florencio Miraflores, Malay Mayor Frolibar Bautista, DENR Undersecretary Ernesto Adobo Jr., Environment Management Bureau executive director Natividad Bernardino, Department of the Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III, Justice Assistant Secretary Margaret Castillo-Padilla, TIEZA chief operating officer Mark Lapid and Martin Jose Despi of the Boracay Inter-Agency Rehabilitation Management Group.

During the event, Aboitiz Group president and chief executive officer Sabin Aboitiz emphasized how important central partnerships such as this are to the Aboitiz Group’s transformation journey.

“The Aboitiz Group’s contribution to Boracay’s rehabilitation is part of our commitment to co-create safe, empowered and sustainable communities. As sustainability is a major part of our transformation into the Philippines’ first techglomerate, we will continue to do our part to uplift and bring focus to environmentally and socially impactful initiatives for all our stakeholders,” Aboitiz said.

Sampulna said the Balabag Wetland Park is another testament to the successful wetland rehabilitation on Boracay Island.

At the start of the rehabilita-tion project in 2018, the Aboitiz Group vowed to deploy nature-based solutions to make the wetland a functional public space.

By using low-impact eco-tourism designs, the Balabag Wetland Park become a recreational, educational and experiential space that raises awareness about the importance of wetlands.