Environmental degradation is Boracay’s main problem
Scientists and academicians gathered in Manila last month for a conference to map out a plan for Boracay’s rehabilitation while tracing the resort island’s woes to environmental degradation due to poor local governance.
The policy forum was meant to determine appropriate rehabilitation measures specific to the current conditions and needs of the Boracay Island Coastal Environment and help in efforts toward its sustainable development and resiliency.
Held at the Hotel Jen last April 23, the forum had a panel of speakers led by National Scientist William Padolina, who highlighted the need to understand further the status of Boracay Island that necessitated its temporary closure.
Different government agencies, research institutions and speakers who have done work in Boracay each said their piece, as moderated by Rhodora Azanza, focal person of the activity and chair of the National Academy of Science and Technology Biological Sciences Division.
Guillermo Tabios III of the NAST Engineering Sciences and Technology Division discussed the role of the coral reef ecosystem, one of the most important tourist attractions in Boracay. Citing previous and recent work of marine scientists, he emphasized that coral reefs contribute not only as a tourism resource but also to white beach preservation.
Virginia Cuevas of the NAST Biological Sciences Division discussed the state of water quality and microbiology of coastal waters in Boracay, referring to a study conducted in 2012.
Parameters analyzed were nitrogen (nitrate), phosphorus (orthophosphate), pH, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), dissolved oxygen (DO), total suspended solids (TSS), water temperature, E. coli and total coliform count.
Mangrove Swamp 6 was slightly higher in pH and much higher BOD than Mangrove Swamp 1, Puka Beach and Long Beach. Lugotan Cove had the highest E. coli and total coliform populations while the rest of the sites had the same levels. Good water quality was recorded in the coastal areas where commercial establishments are connected to the sewage system.
For policy considerations, she recommended establishing a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facility at the outfall of drainage canals from informal settlers, wet market, parlors, shops and other establishments before discharging into the coastal water. She emphasized the need to monitor the neighboring islands for wastewater from houses, commercial establishments and sewage effluent disposal.
Ma. Lourdes San Diego-McGlone, professor at the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute, discussed coastal habitat degradation and decreasing coral cover in Boracay. She identified several environmental issues, such as coastal erosion, improper coastal infrastructure development, high rate of population increase, water quality degradation, green tides, loss of coastal habitats and the local government’s lack of knowledge on how to address these.
One of the research team findings that McGlone presented is the island’s benthic cover, which showed that in a span of 23 years, coral cover decreased by 70 percent from 1988 to 2011.
The most significant decrease occurred in 2008-2011 when tourist arrivals increased by 38.4 percent. Prior to this occurrence, a dramatic increase in sand and coral rubble was also reported in southwest Boracay during the years 2003-2006.
Another issue that the island is facing is the erosion of white beach. McGlone said that the deterioration of the reef ecosystem in front of the beach leads to erosion due to reduction of the reef’s function as natural breakwater and supplier of white sand/beach sediments. The deterioration is caused by water quality degradation and directly impacts marine leisure activities such as anchoring, diving and snorkeling.
She said improper construction of sea walls, restaurants and hotels on the backshore was a secondary cause of erosion the island, and gave suggestions on how management of the coastal environment could help preserve the white sand and other natural features of Boracay.
Reefs in poor condition
Vincent Hilomen, project manager of Smart SEA Project of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), explained the current condition of reefs in Boracay.
Based on the reef condition from the live coral cover obtained from scuba diving in 2013, Balusbos and Motag are in poor condition, while Balinghai marine protected area (MPA), Friday’s Rock MPA, Lobster Rock and Caticlan are in fair condition. On the other hand, Coral Garden MPA is in good condition and the only excellent area out of the eight sites surveyed in Boracay is Angol Point.
On the situation of reef fishes, none of the areas show very high fish biomass (40 MT/km2 and above). Balusbos and Motag show very low fish biomass (>10 MT/km2), while Balinghai, Coral Garden and Caticlan are in the medium range (>20 MT/km2).
On the other hand, Fridays, Lobster and Angol Point are reported to be in the high category (>30 MT/km2).
Hilomen stressed the importance of wetlands ecosystems that serve as water catchment basins during the rainy season. This prevents flooding and allows slow release of filtered water to the sea.
He suggested rehabilitating habitats, harnessing locals for conservation activities, educating tourists and residents, and imposing a policy of “no collection” of shells and other materials on the island.
Franklin Diza, chief of the Environmental Health Office in the Department of Health, talked about public health and sanitation in Boracay. According to him, human feces is the most common source of microbial pathogens. Germs are passed on from an infected person to a new host through contaminated food, fingers, fluids, fields and flies.
Solid and wastewater sanitation systems are the primary barriers that break the transmission route of pathogens, especially the effective process of confining and treating feces. Diza said there is a need to conduct risk assessment and management on the island as well as drinkingwater quality surveillance and testing. Sanitation and capacity building, including advocacy and promotion campaigns need logistical support to ensure the safety of the population against water contamination and water-borne diseases.
Lastly, lawyer Ana Mae Pedregosa, of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, discussed the role of local government units. She said the creation of the Boracay Investigating Team is to exercise DILG’s supervisory power over LGUs on environmental problems in Boracay and to establish the possible accountability of local and national government officials.
Eufemio Rasco Jr., chair of NAST Agricultural Sciences Division gave the synthesis of the policy forum. The environmental problems in Boracay could be traced primarily to weak governance. The necessary laws and policies seem to be in place but local and national government offices have long been remiss in implementing them.
Two categories of possible solutions to the environmental problems of Boracay were suggested. For the short term rehabilitation, i.e. during the six-month closure, the sewage treatment facilities should be targeted to improve the quality of ground water and coastal water and thus help in the conservation of its marine ecosystem.
Governance should be given importance, because the local government has a big role in the short and long term rehabilitation of the island. For planning purposes, the rehabilitation coverage – the impact on Boracay of the environmental and natural resource management of the neighboring islands – should be considered.