DENR to conduct hearing on ‘cesspool’ Boracay in March

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is scheduled to conduct a hearing with Boracay's private stakeholders, the local government and those in charge of its water facilities on March 2, following President Rodrigo Duterte's threat to close the tourist destination, calling it a "cesspool."

"'Yung mga stakeholders sa Boracay, mga private na may mga may-ari ng resort plus 'yung mga local government, plus 'yung in charge ng pagpapatayo ng sewer line du'n. Kasi i think tied up 'yun sa water. Kung sino ang water provider siya rin ang caretaker ng sewer facility," Cynthia Villar, chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB Saturday.

"Sobrang dumi ng tubig kaya po nila napansin. Kaya ngayon, in-instruction ang Department of Environment and Natural Resources to do something about it kasi masisira po 'yung famous nating beach 'pag hindi natin na-solve 'yung pagre-recycle ng waste sa Boracay," she added.

Villar said Duterte wanted private hotels in Boracay to align their seweges with the Boracay sewer line.

"Ang gusto lang ng Presidente, lahat sila, mga private sila, idikit nila 'yung sewer line nila du'n sa sewer line ng Boracay. Kasi marami raw po na mga hotel du'n na hindi nakadikit kaya 'yun ang pine-penalize at nire-require silang magkaroon ng STP (Sewage Treatment Plant) o 'yung kanilang mga waste ay malinis bago padaluyin sa dagat."

Villar said it was a requirement to prevent all waste from leaking into the seas.

"Kasi ganu'n po ang requirement 'pag malapit ka sa dagat. 'Yung waste mo, dapat malinis muna kasi kung hindi, tutuloy lahat sa dagat 'yun, dudumi ang dagat."

The President on Monday also threatened to file charges against local officials in Boracay for alleged neglect of the island resort's waste management.

Two weeks ago Duterte approved "in principle" the creation of a task force led by the DENR to address the poblems of Boracay in six months, to be headed by Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu.

The DENR in 2015 started a crackdown on commercial establishments that may be polluting the water in Boracay.

A study conducted by a team commissioned by the Department of Tourism to draft the Land Use Plan of Boracay during the terms of former secretaries Ace Durano and Ramon Jimenez found that the influx of tourists is not the problem, but rather the rapid population growth on the island as it is almost six times higher than the national average.

Boracay hosts at least two million visitors each year. — MDM, GMA News