Boracay reopening set Oct. 15

Boracay island, the country’s premier resort, will reopen on October 15.

There will be a dry run for the hotels for the first 1,000 foreign visitors on the first day, another 1,000 tourists on the second day and another 1,000 tourists on the third day.

Senators Cynthia A. Villar and Joseph Victor "JV’’ Ejercito welcomed this development as 180 out of 2,300 establishments have so far complied with requirements set by a task force headed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“This is just 7.8 percent compliance. We have 44 days to go,’’ Villar, chairwoman of the Senate agriculture and food committee, told DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu.

These requirements mean that the waste water treatment plants, sewerage and drainage systems and solid wastes disposals are up to DENR standards.

Cimatu and his staff appeared before the Senate finance sub-committee to defend DENR’s proposed 2019 budget of P24.7 billion which is a little less than the current P24.9 billion budget.

He told senators that priority would be given to local government officials, particularly mayors, and residents of Panay island who will be coming to “rehabilitated” Boracay since it was closed last April 26 on orders of President Duterte.

Duterte had described the beaches of Boracy as a virtual cesspool.

Cimatu said the beaches of Boracay are now virtually clean of harmful bacteria while his department’s environment officials would test the water quality treatment plants of the hotels during the dry run period.

The dry run will end on Oct. 25, he added.

Ejercito said there is need for the task force to regulate the flow and number of people going to and from Boracay island.