ANAC-IP Rep. Jose Panganiban urged Environment Sec. Roy Cimatu to make ensuring Boracay’s sustainability its number one priority.
This after Cimatu, who heads Task Force Boracay, revealed during a hearing of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Natural Resources that the island is set to reopen on October 26.
Panganiban, a member of the committee, said that guaranteeing that Boracay will not be closed again in the future should be the main focus.
He also called on the task force to not be pressured to rush their work in order to meet deadlines, stressing that “ultimately, our primary objective is to address all issues that have forced the island’s closure.”
“Ultimately, our primary objective is to address all issues that have forced the island’s closure.”
“I am confident that President Rodrigo Duterte would not mind a delay in the reopening if it is in the spirit of making sure all bases are covered,” said Panganiban.
Prudence, rather than haste, should be paramount, Panganiban said, as he cautioned that a large number of people would be affected by any setbacks if the island is reopened without addressing all the issues that had plagued the popular tourist spot prior to its closure.
“Prudence, rather than haste, should be paramount.”
Data shows that about 36,000 workers, including members of the Ati indigenous peoples group that reside on the island, lost their jobs when the government closed down the island in April.
The Department of Labor and Employment hired 5,000 workers as part of its 30-day emergency employment program, with 2,000 of this number from the Ati community.
Panganiban enjoined the DENR to ensure that all establishments strictly comply with environmental laws, as well as other requirements that deal with sewage and pollution.
The solon also said that the President did the right thing in closing the island, and that the recent SWS survey showing that 64% of Filipinos support Boracay’s temporary closure “was deemed the correct course of action by the majority of our people.”
The government had justified the closure of Boracay to arrest the island’s destruction, which was because of the inability of the local government and the DENR to properly enforce environmental laws.
“The aim should be to make Boracay not only a top tourist destination again, but also to make it one that is a model of sustainable tourism,” said Panganiban.
