Boracay may be closed off to tourists for 2 to 3 months —DENR

Boracay will have to be closed off to tourists for two to three months if the government pushes through with its plan to declare a state of calamity in the area to give way to rehabilitation work amid environmental issues plaguing the popular resort island.

"Base sa mga plano namin, puwedeng proposal namin na isara muna ng konting panahon ang Boracay, siguro mga 60 days to 90 days," Environment Undersecretary Jonas Leones said in a Dobol B sa News TV interview on Friday.

Leones said the agency might follow the example of Phuket, Thailand, which shut down tourism in the area for a year to allow the island to recover from environmental damage.

"Kasi ang iniisip namin 'yung mga experience sa ibang bansa. Like for example 'yung Phuket. They shut down, they prevented the tourism for one year and let the nature recover. So that's the only way we can ensure [that Boracay] will be restored."

Leones said part of their investigation was to dig up land to see where the establishments' wastewater are flowing out.

"Talagang nagsusulputan na parang mushrooms ang mga buildings diyan. Nagpapatong-patong na. Hindi na natitingan kung saan 'yung kanilang discharge point... Kinakailangang hukayin at makita kung saan talaga dumadaan 'yung kanilang mga wastewater."

The undersecretary said that if resorts could not connect their sewer lines to the Boracay main sewer line, they will have to come up with their own wastewater facilities.

"If they cannot connect 'yung sewage line nila, they are required to put up their own wastewater facility para 'yung lalabas na tubig sa kanila malinis kapag dumaan na sa Boracay water."

Reclaimed wetlands

Leones said that businesses and establishments are not allowed in the 400 hectares of wetlands on the island, but they have reclaimed it throughout the years, causing flooding in Boracay.

"'Yung 400 hectares nu'n ang forest land o wetland. Ang nangyari niyan, du'n sa mga forest land, naging corrosion sila. Ang mga wetland, na-reclaim na nila. 'Yun ang tinututukan natin ngayon. Bumaha. Barado na, at saka 'yung dadaanan ng tubig, 'yung pinaka-pond, na-reclaim na kaya hindi na makadaan du'n."

"'Yung mapa na pinresent (present) ni Secretary [Roy Cimatu] sa inter-agency, nakita natin 'yung 2009 ito 'yung existing wetland, pero 2018 na-claim na 'yung wetland natin," Leones added.

Leones reiterated that a show cause order will be issued to the establishments, requiring them to show proof that they have permission to operate on the island.

"But kung talagang wala silang ma-explain, they will be forced to demolish [their establishments]," he said.

The undersecretary said that Under the Clean Water Act, establishments can be penalized from P10,000 to P200,000 per day. — Jamil Santos/MDM, GMA News