Action plan for Boracay rehabilitation

The Department of Environment And Natural Resources (DENR) is starting the rehabilitation of Boracay by issuing show cause orders to over 900 establishments on the island.

Undersecretary Jonas Leones on Friday presented to the press the action plan for Boracay, starting with building a strong case against violators.

"We are really being very careful, we don’t want to squander the opportunity," Leones said.

A survey of the structures within forestland is still ongoing, along with efforts to address the major problems that prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to describe Boracay as a "cesspool," namely:

• the island's drainage system and sewer lines;
• the large amount of garbage generated by both residents and tourists;
• encroachment on easements, forestland, and wetlands; and
• the degradation of certain areas like Puka Beach and caves.

Boracay will be closed to tourists starting April 26, but Leones said environmental efforts will continue after it is reopened to the public.

Road repairs and pipe laying are scheduled until December in the action plan DENR shared with the press.

The DENR will be working closely with the Department of Tourism, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Health, Department of Labor and Employment,  Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Department of Health to hasten the efforts to rehabilitate Boracay.

Leones said they intend to keep the rehabilitation program of Boracay to the six-month period without extension.

Table of action plan:

—KBK, GMA News