Boracay will be a cesspool no more

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) remained firm with its decision to require establishments in Boracay to put up sewerage treatment plants (STP).

The requirement will ensure that all wastewater have undergone appropriate treatment prior to their discharge into the sea, the department said.

“The President described Boracay as a ‘cesspool.’ By that word alone, he meant that the waters around the island is of very poor quality,” DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu said.

“And, indeed, it was. The concentration of e-coliform in the water samples that were put to test in the early part of our rehabilitation efforts were too high — millions of times beyond the standard,” he added.

Cimatu noted that despite local governments coming up with ordinances requiring STP before, such ordinances were not faithfully enforced.

“This time, the Boracay Interagency Task Force will make sure that the STP requirement shall be enforced fully,” Cimatu added.

“The President’s order has always been to give premium to the environment rather than to economic gains. Therefore, the STP is non-negotiable. It is one of the primary requirements for the opening of Boracay,” Cimatu stressed.

Government financial institutions are willing to assist in STP construction such as the Development Bank of the Philippines and the Land Bank of the Philippines, he added.

The environment chief expressed appreciation for the support and cooperation shown by some establishments that have already put up or are in the process of putting up their STP, as well as to those who have come forward to help in the rehabilitation of the various wetlands in Boracay.

Cimatu signed “adoption” agreements with two companies, Energy Development Corporation and Aboitiz, for the rehabilitation of Wetlands 2 and 4. Earlier, the Boracay Tubi System, Inc. volunteered to adopt Wetland 6.

Along this line, Cimatu is appealing to other sectors to help in the rehabilitation of Boracay’s ecosystems as part of their corporate social responsibility.

“The ‘economic’ side of Boracay has been ‘gained’ by the business sector operating on the island for the past decades. This time around, give back to the environment and give back to the next generations of Filipinos from whom we have borrowed Boracay’s splendor,” Cimatu said.