Boracay Island soft ‘ re-opening’ possible by August — IATF

BORACAY ISLAND, AKLAN, Philippines —The lifting of Boracay Island’s closure order by August maybe possible, according to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) that manages the island’s shutdown.

Interior and Local Government Assistant Secretary Epimaco Densing III said they could implement a soft re-opening of the island within three to four months, but for as long as the six milestone standards will be met.

First, by July, the water discharge from the drainage should pass the standards set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), he said.

Densing said there must be proof that clean water is now discharged into the sea for 30 consecutive days. It was believed that untreated wastewater contributed to the contamination of Boracay’s seawaters.

Second, there should be no more solid waste brought and disposed to mainland Malay’s sanitary landfill. "No garbage should pile up at the sanitary landfill by July," Densing said. Business establishments have earlier encouraged establishments to practice proper waste segregation.

Third, the ongoing repair and fixing of the drainage system at the Bulabog Beach, located at the eastern side of Boracay, should be done by end of April or early May.

Fourth, there must also be a 100-percent compliance to the 25 plus 5 meters easement rule on all Boracay establishments and structures. By end of July or early part of August, all violators of the 30-meter easement rule should be toppled.

Fifth consideration is the recovery or reclaiming of the three of the five wetlands that were encroached into by business establishments and illegal settlers in Boracay. The DENR earlier aired the need to restore the wetlands because these serve as catchments during the rainy days, and these prevent flooding.

Wetlands are the link between land and water, and are some of the most productive ecosystems in the world. These are important because they protect and improve water quality, provide fish and wildlife habitats, store floodwaters and maintain surface water flow during dry periods, the DENR noted.

Finally the sixth standard provides that there must be a 70-percent completion rate on the road widening projects of the island's 4.8-kilometer main road and the new drainage pipeline projects in the island. "If these conditions are met, we could have a soft opening by August," Densing added. (FREEMAN)