The Department of the Interior and Local Government wants to make Boracay the gold standard for all resort destinations in the country, even as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources will allow citizens’ arrests to enforce stricter littering laws on the world-famous island.
The DENR also said tourists may still enjoy parties, grilling, and other beach activities on Aklan’s prized island for as long as these are done indoors or in areas away from the shore.
DILG Officer-In-Charge Eduardo M. Año said while local and foreign tourists will be welcome again to visit Boracay during its soft reopening on Oct. 26, it will take about two years to complete the island’s rehabilitation.
“There will be a lot of laws and ordinances to be implemented in Boracay under our supervision to make sure that there will be no repeat of what happened before,” Año said in a statement Friday.
He said the immediate problems on violations of environmental laws in Boracay have been fixed after its six-month rehabilitation.
As for the citizens’ arrests, DENR Undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and Local Government Benny Antiporda said this is to prevent the same scenario during the first day of the dry run last week, when trash was still found on the beach.
This drew criticism from no less than Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, who admonished the litterbugs on television.
“We will not allow it to happen during the island’s reopening on Oct. 26,” Antiporda said.
Another environment undersecretary, Sherwin Rigor, said several prohibitions proposed as policies for the reopening of the world-famous resort island will be imposed only in beachfront areas.
The bans were meant to protect the shore and maintain the pristine quality of its powder-white sand, Boracay’s most attractive feature.
According to Rigor, among those prohibited are the construction of stage platforms for entertainment purposes, and setting up tables, chairs, massage beds, beach umbrellas, souvenir shops, and food stalls.
Electrical fixtures, such as lightings and wirings, will also be removed and prohibited from the beachfront vegetation area.
“These structures will be banned at all times within the 25+5 meter easement area, which is a ‘no-build zone’, and within the beach vegetation area,” Rigor said.
The ban applies to Boracay’s White Beach Stations 1, 2 and 3, Puka, Ilig-Iligan and Bulabog beaches.
A Boracay Inter-agency Task Force composed of the DILG, DENR, and the Department of Tourism was created by President Rodrigo Duterte to carry out measures to save Boracay.
“Boracay is now very fresh and very orderly but of course there are still a lot of things to be done for the next two years,” Año said.
The interior secretary said administrative cases had been filed against 18 erring local government officials for the mismanagement of the island.
Of this number, 17 officials were charged with administrative cases on gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service, and one was charged with grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service.
Antiporda said that aside from locals, they are also tapping businesses to help enforce the anti-littering ordinance of Boracay. Fines and imprisonment await violators, he warned.
Members of the Compliant Association of Boracay, a group of hotels, resorts and restaurants on the island, were accredited by the DOT.
“The CAB would deputize its members to become Boracay marshals,” Antiporda said, adding that each establishment is required to have pollution control officers.
He also disputed an item in an infographic called “New Boracay Dos and Don’ts” circulating online stating grilling of meats would be prohibited.
“This is not true. The task force does not prohibit such,” he said. “You can still grill, but not along the beachfront.”
The task force is also looking into setting up designated zones where ambulant vendors can sell their goods, instead of approaching and possibly disturbing tourists.
Another proposed measure is the banning of parties at the beachfront and within the easement area without valid permits for the holding of special events.
Antiporda clarified water sports, paraw sailing, and other related activities are only temporarily suspended while the government, led by the DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau, and partner organizations are conducting an assessment of the marine ecosystems in Boracay.
The agency is expecting the results of the assessment before the opening on Oct. 26. With PNA