Senator Cynthia Villar on Monday expressed dismay that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources expected only 30 percent of the establishments in Boracay Island to operate when it resumes operation in October after six- month closure.
Villar stressed the lower target explains why the work of the interagency task force was slow.
She sees the 30 percent target as low as she vouched for a 50 percent target, saying there was still time to connect to a Sewerage Treatment Plant.
This target, she noted, “is unacceptable from a business person’s point of view.”
“But I asked them if the 50 percent will open on Oct. 26, that would be better for Boracay, even if one half would not open because they did not comply with the waste water requirement,” she said.
During the hearing, Villar questioned the Boracay interagency task force regarding the “target to connect” when the six-month closure order ends.
Interior Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said they projected around 30 percent establishments which were already connected to the sewer system and had their own sewage treatment plants.
He also raised the possibility that there were many establishments, inns and hotels which have no business permit, mayor’s permit, Pag-IBIG, and PhilHealth.
“Boracay has become wild, wild, west. 163 establishments does (sic) not have mayor’s permit, building permit,” Densing said.
While their infrastructure is good in terms of roads and drainage, Villar stressed there was a problem with wastewater in the island resort.
“They find wastewater treatment costly so they are hesitant to connect. I told them to make a policy that would give a discount or at least, lower the cost to encourage people to connect,” said Villar in an interview after the hearing of the Senate environment and natural resources committee.
She also asked the DENR to reconsider its order requiring establishments with 50 rooms and above located on Boracay’s beachfront to build their own sewage treatment plants.
She said that those with 49 rooms and below should group together and have clustered sewage treatment plants.
The big establishments, she said, would have no problem but the rule would be hard for those with 10 to five rooms only.
According to Villar, 80 percent of the establishments in Boracay beachfront had 49 rooms and below.