No changing Boracay’s rehabilitation timetable
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is rushing to complete the rehabilitation of Boracay Island in Aklan within the six-month timetable, according to DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu.
Cimatu was reacting to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing 64 percent of Filipinos favor a oneyear closure of Boracay for its rehabilitation.
“We are rushing to complete the job within the six-month period given to us by the President. People are requesting for a one-year closure...but we will stick to plan,” Cimatu said.
Since the island resort’s shutdown two months ago, the multi-agency task force headed by DENR has been “on target” in its efforts to rehabilitate the island.
Last February, Duterte deplored the deterioration of Boracay into a “cesspool.”
Cimatu said the government will be able to re-open Boracay to tourism activities by October, as planned.
In a related development, Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Emmanuel Piñol urged members of the Ati tribe in Barangay Manocmanoc in Boracay to transform their 2.1-hectare ancestral domain into an agri-tourism site.
“We want to uplift their lives and provide them access to government interventions,” Piñol said.
He initially committed R2 million as financial support to the indigenous people and women’s groups of Boracay through the Survival Recovery credit program under DA’s Agricultural Credit Policy Council.
Under the credit facility, close to 80 families and households will each receive R25,000 for sustainable community livelihood projects.
“Aside from that, we also offer R5,000 up to R50,000 financing with only six percent interest rate every year under the Production Loan Easy Access program,” Piñol said.
He suggested that the tribe members establish an organic vegetable garden, with the assistance of the Agricultural Training Institute.
The DA’s Regional Field Unit had in fact delivered sets of garden tools including water sprinklers, UV film, spade and spading fork, plastic drums, assorted vegetables seeds and other planting materials to the tribespeople.