Be responsible, DENR told tourists

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

Not rehabilitation, but the attitude of residents and tourists is the biggest challenge of Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) in preserving the environment of Boracay Island. 

The BIATF, chaired by Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), is mandated to spearhead the rehabilitation plans in Boracay for two years before it will turn over the management to the Department of Tourism (DoT).

“We could transform an island into a prime tourist spot, but, we have to be a responsible traveller too, to safeguard the environment. Ang pinakamahirap ang attitude ng tao lalo na sa pagtapon ng basura,” said  Environment secretary Roy Cimatu. 

Cimatu urged the beachgoers to dispose their trash properly to solve littering problems in the beaches after photos of discarded trash went viral on social media after Boracay re-opening on October 26.    

The environment chief also lauded the efforts and understanding of stakeholders and the community in the ongoing massive rehabilitation. The island was closed to tourists on April 26 after President Rodrigo Duterte described it a “cesspool”.

“With humility, the rehabilitation effort in Boracay is one of the biggest achievements for all of us. People are appreciative of what we are doing while we are inspecting the projects in Boracay,” Cimatu said. 

Apart from Boracay, the tourist destinations of Palawan, Panglao in Bohol and Surigao are ‘candidates’ also for rehabilitation by national government agencies due to environmental problems. 

Meanwhile, tourism secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the ‘takeover’ of DoT in managing Boracay would be better with the help of DENR and the Department of  Interior and Local Government (DILG) to enforce the laws. 

“It is similar to a task force with the local government of Malay being part of the task force but headed by DoT,” she stressed.   

The tourism chief said the number of tourists coming in Boracay has been reduced to achieve the carrying capacity. The island and its compliant establishments are expected to accommodate 19,250 tourists daily.