THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Wednesday announced the adoption of a stringent policy to protect the world renowned Boracay Island in Aklan, covering all projects including government development to protect its ecosystems.
The agency issued Department Administrative Order No. 2025-36, resetting stricter guidelines for the processing of environmental compliance certificates (ECCs) and certificates of non-coverage (CNCs) for all projects on Boracay Island in line with its continuing rehabilitation and sustainable management.
The order provides standards for evaluating accommodation capacity and geological hazards in the review and processing of ECC and CNC applications.
The DENR said the regulation applies to all existing projects, expansion projects, and new developments on the island that fall within the purview of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) System, and the new and existing structures that qualify for the issuance of a CNC.
Under the guidelines, a proponent of an existing structure an expansion project and a new national government project covered by the Philippine EIS System must secure an ECC.
In issuing the directive, the DENR reaffirmed its commitment to protecting Boracay’s fragile ecosystems while allowing carefully regulated development that supports sustainable tourism, public welfare, and the gains achieved from the island’s rehabilitation.
The issuance of the order stemmed from the lessons learned during Boracay’s six-month rehabilitation from April to October 2018.
The requirements included an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) checklist, certification from the local government unit confirming compatibility with existing land use plans, zoning certificates, and/or Sangguniang Bayan resolution on land reclassification/land use exemption/ land use conversion, project layout overlaid on a Google project location map, and a site development plan signed by a registered professional.
A proponent must also submit a proof of authority over the project site, whether it is public land, private land, or land under ancestral domains, and secure a certification from the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office on land classification, as well as a certificate of compliance to beachfront easement and road easement requirements.
A new project is further required to submit an Engineering Geological and Geohazard Assessment Report endorsed by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau or an MGB-issued Geohazard Verification Report, carrying capacity assessments endorsed by the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau, and LGU Clearance/Certification certifying compliance with Physical Carrying Capacity limits.
A project that is not covered by the EIS System, including a new national government project classified under applicable thresholds, as well as a qualified family dwelling, a small local business, a place of worship and a minor public infrastructure, must secure a CNC.
All CNC applications for Boracay projects shall be filed and processed manually at the EMB-Region 6 to allow proper validation and site inspection prior to issuance.
In a statement, the DENR emphasized that only projects consistent with Boracay’s approved land use, zoning, and development framework are eligible to secure an ECC or CNC.
