At least 209 business establishments in Aklan’s Boracay Island have been fined for a total of P43 million due to various violations of environmental laws.
Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu on Monday said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Pollution Adjudication Board has ordered the owners and operators of the concerned establishments to comply with their obligation to settle their corresponding fines.
He vowed to stay vigilant in the close monitoring of pollution violations and the swift adjudication of cases.
Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Rodolfo Garcia, PAB presiding officer, and a retired military general said the agency has already sent notices of violations to the erring establishments.
“We, at the DENR, believe that anyone who pollutes or destroys the environment must pay the cost for that destruction,” he said.
He warned those who would fail to pay penalties would not be issued permits to operate.
“The DENR, together with other concerned government agencies, is firm in its resolve to clean not only the waters and air of Boracay and to manage its solid waste. It also wants to clear Boracay of irresponsible and greedy business people who have placed care for the environment their least priority,” he said.
Despite the reopening of Boracay Island last Oct. 26, rehabilitation efforts are not yet over, he added.
“We will continue to monitor all establishments and impose the necessary penalties should they be found breaking laws,” he said.
President Rodrigo Duterte had tagged the Boracay Island a “cesspool” and ordered its closure on April 26 to give way to its six-month rehabilitation.
The DENR said 110 establishments have been found to violate Section 1, Rule 19 of Republic Act 8749 or the Clean Air Act of 1999 requiring a permit to operate all sources of air pollution from the agency’s Environmental Management Bureau.
A P1.5-million fine is imposed on each violator.
Another 72 establishments have been fined a total of P2 million for operating facilities that discharge regulated water pollutants without a valid discharge permit, which is required under Section 27(c) of RA 9275 or Clean Water Act of 2004.
The DENR has imposed a total fine of P39 million on five establishments for discharging untreated wastewater and exceedance of effluent standards.
For violation of other provisions of both RA Nos. 8749 and 9275, 22 establishments were fined a total of P900,000.
The DENR’s public affairs services told the Manila Standard that “some of the establishments [in the Boracay Island] have already paid their fines with the central office and the regional office, while several others have yet to settle their penalties.”