Mission possible: Rehab Boracay

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

Tourism Assistant Secretary Frederick Alegre wants construction workers on standby in Boracay Island for the massive rehabilitation works to begin on April 26.  

PHOTO BOY RYAN ZABAL

The national government is shutting tourism activities in the island for six months to give way for the clean up to address Boracay’s environmental problems.

“The mission for inter-agency task force is to rehabilitate the island,” Alegre stressed.

During the rehabilitation, the government will deal with the island’s sewerage, drainage and solid waste management, road and transport, forestlands and easement recovery, biodiversity conservation and wetlands rehabilitation.

Putting up of additional sewage treatment plants (STPs) to accommodate the island’s waste water generated by the hotels and business establishments will be prioritized in the rehabilitation plans to convince President Rodrigo Duterte for the immediate relaunching of Boracay.

Alegre said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Department of Labor (DOLE) are validating the list of recipient-workers and households that will be affected by closure.

“The major concern is how to distribute the P2.3 billion calamity fund for the workers if we don’t have the validated list,” he stressed.

The local government of Malay listed 19,000 directly employed in hotels, resorts and 17,000 informal workers in the island affected by the temporary closure.

Malay town Executive Assistant Rowen Aguirre said these workers in the island are the worse affected by the impending closure and the start of rehabilitation.

“There should be clear-cut and concrete actions from government agencies like DOLE and DSWD. We need more assistance for displaced workers,” he added.

Alegre further stressed DSWD field office was established in Boracay to address concerns of workers.

A multi-sectoral workshop conference on April 17 was also held in Boracay Island to explain the rehabilitation plans to stakeholders and those involved in the sustainability of Boracay.

On the issue of land reform in Boracay, Alegre said “Boracay must go back to its original owners and settlers...let them enjoy the fruits of what Boracay is today.”

Aguirre, however, stressed the President’s statement on land reform added confusion and anxiety to residents of Boracay.

“People are anticipating after the inconvenience of the closure that they will be able to return to work since there are no significant farm lands in the island,” he said.

Aguirre stressed that residential houses and establishments in three barangays now occupied what used to be the agricultural lands in Boracay in 1970s.

"They (workers)   would rather employ in hotels and resorts after the temporary closure since they get more income from tourism activities than farming," he added. 

Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent Ryan Manongdo of Metro Boracay Task Force said strict security by policemen and force multipliers will be implemented to make sure the rehabilitation works will be unhampered.

First published by independent online blog Aklan Forum Journal. The unrestricted use in print, radio, publication and distribution of articles are allowed provided the original author and Aklan Forum Journal are credited.