Aklan mayor ordered to account for environmental fees

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has directed the mayor of Malay, Aklan to account for the use of about P1 billion in environmental fees collected over the past 10 years from tourists visiting the world-famous Boracay Island.

DILG Assistant Secretary for plans and programs Epimaco Densing III said the three barangay chairmen of Manoc-Manoc, Balabag and Yapak were ordered to come out with a sixmonth plan to rehabilitate the island.

He said an average of two million tourists visit Boracay annually and each of them pay P75 as environmental fee. The local government collects P150 million every year, Densing told radio dzMM yesterday.

He said the mayor of Malay should account for the utilization of environmental fees collected over the past 10 years. He added that a drainage audit will be immediately done in Boracay once a state of calamity is declared in the three barangays to check improper connections and disposal of waste into the waters.

DILG OIC-Secretary Eduardo Año clarified that the department’s proposal to declare a state of calamity in Boracay is for the purpose of hastening the mitigation response and rehabilitation efforts of the national government, including the private sector, and could warrant international assistance as may be deemed necessary.

“It’s one of the options we’re considering because there is concern that the plan to rehabilitate Boracay Island cannot be achieved under normal circumstances, meaning when normal commercial activities are in operation,” Año said.

Earlier, the President gave the DILG and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) six months to implement “immediate action” and fix Boracay’s environmental issues. Año and Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo have pushed for the temporary closure to tourists of Boracay so that it could be rehabilitated.

DOLE prepares aid

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is looking for alternative employment and other forms of assistance to workers who might be displaced by the impending closure of Boracay Island.

Labor Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod said the DOLE will offer the affected workers emergency employment or livelihood assistance through its existing programs for displaced workers.

“They could really help in the cleaning of Boracay while they are without jobs during the closure and they will be paid the mandated minimum wage,” Maglunsod said.

The impending closure of Boracay could lead to the displacement of an estimated 17,000 workers.

Johnson Cañete, DOLE Western Visayas regional director, said they are set to meet today with members of the Boracay Industry Tripartite Council (BITC) to discuss measures to cushion the impact of Boracay’s closure.

“One of the agenda of the meeting is the impending threat of the Boracay closure and its effect on members of the council,” Cañete said.

Malacañang had threatened to close Boracay to pave the way for the cleanup of the island that had been plagued by raw sewage discharged into the sea, overdevelopment and other environmental violations.

Maglunsod said among the DOLE’s programs is providing temporary employment to displaced workers by hiring them in cleanup operations of the island like declogging of street canals, cleaning, clearing of road sidewalks, planting trees and basic repair of common public facilities, among others, for a specific period.

DOLE, Maglunsod said, can also offer livelihood program not only to displaced workers, but also to residents of the island who will be adversely affected.

Maglunsod said the DOLE regional office is set to conduct the profiling of workers in Boracay to determine the number, kinds of jobs and preferred types of assistance of would-be displaced workers.

“This is our standard procedure whenever we have situations like this, especially now that our President has already declared a state of calamity in Boracay,” said Maglunsod.

President Duterte had hinted about closing Boracay to give way to the rehabilitation of the island.

Environment Undersecretary Jonas Leones said the DENR could come up with a recommendation whether to close Boracay within the six-month deadline of President Duterte.

He said Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu could recommend measures to address the environmental problem in the island.

On Duterte’s plan to declare a state of calamity, Leones said it is a procedural move to fast-track the rehabilitation of Boracay by skipping some bureaucratic requirements.

Leones said a total of 116 establishments in Boracay were issued with notices of violation for various environmental violations, including the dumping of sewage directly into the sea.

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III supported yesterday the proposal to close Boracay temporarily to pave the way for its rehabilitation.

Pimentel said the process, though difficult, is necessary in order to preserve the beauty of the popular tourist destination. –