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BY JUN AGUIRRE
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January 11, 2018
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BORACAY – This world-famous island needs more intervention programs from the government, according to Boracay Foundation, Inc. (BFI) president Maylynn Graf.
Graf said this during the local stakeholders’ meeting with Tourism secretary Wanda Corazon Teo and Environment secretary Roy Cimatu on Tuesday.
Teo said the Department of Tourism (DOT) will fast-track the drainage project in the island resort this year.
Cimatu, on the other hand, said he will make sure that Boracay will be decongested.
“We will decongest Boracay by identifying illegal settlers. We will remove them from the island,” added Cimatu. “The DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) and the local government of Malay will conduct an inventory of every private structure in this island resort.”
The DOT and the DENR held the joint meeting with local stakeholders after both agencies received several complaints saying Boracay is “overdeveloped.”
An aerial inspection was also conducted during the Cabinet members’ visit.
While welcoming the plans that Teo and Cimatu presented, Graf demanded for “swift action.”
Graf enumerated issues and problems that Boracay is facing, like the perception of overdevelopment and flooding.
“Development [in Boracay] is not done in an aligned manner resulting to the perception that the island is overdeveloped,” Graf said.
She added that the drainage project in the island took off 20 years ago but until now, it’s still not completed.
“These are just some of the major concerns,” Graf stressed.
On the other hand, Elena Brugger of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Boracay Chapter said there must be an implementing body to govern the local tourism industry.
“We should also have a tourism zone,” said Brugger.
Better transportation facilities from mainland Malay to Boracay and vice versa must also be established, she said./PN
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