MANILA – Malacañang has been urged to appoint a “Boracay czar” to oversee the world-famous island’s rehabilitation.
The recent June 20 Senate hearing on Boracay’s six-month closure uncovered “misunderstandings” between government agencies, said Sen. Nancy Binay, chairperson of the Senate committee on tourism.
These misunderstandings delay in the rehabilitation of Boracay, she lamented.
“Sino ‘yung on top of everything? We have (Environment) Secretary (Roy) Cimatu who is in charge of Task Force Boracay pero interagency council lang ito. Sino ba ang may final say sa mga bagay-bagay,” asked Binay.
Boracay residents are just as confused as to who is in charge on the ground, she said.
“We need a person who has the final say at magdedesisyon kapag nagkaroon ng aberya lalo na’t may mga issues pala sa pagitan ng ahensiya mismo ng pamahalaan,” stressed Binay.
During the hearing, both the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) and the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) claimed to have regulatory powers over water concessionaires in Boracay.
This confused and delayed the division of the island between water utilities, according to Binay.
Meanwhile, she expressed support for the proposed centralized agency to consolidate authority and oversee Boracay rehabilitation projects.
“There is a proposal to create a Boracay Development Authority that will be tasked to regulate all developments in the island and protect its environmental integrity. We can use the existing interagency task force to kick-start the initiative and perhaps adopt the Intramuros template in creating this agency,” the committee on tourism chief said.
“However, it is also important that we give it the necessary administrative powers to exercise its mandate,” said Binay.
The Intramuros Administration is an agency of the Department of Tourism mandated to orderly restore, administer and develop the historic walled area of Intramuros that is situated within the modern city of Manila as well as well as to insure that the 16th to 19th century Philippine-Spanish architecture remains the general architectural style of the walled area.
The Intramuros Administration operates autonomously from the municipal government although the Mayor of Manila is a part of its Board. It was established in April 10, 1979.
Sen. Franklin Drilon pushed for a single authority to manage Boracay. He filed Senate Bill 1765 seeking to create the “Boracay Island Council” tasked to “take over the management, development, regulation, protection, and maintenance” of the top tourist destination, including its coastal resources and marine biodiversity.
“There is no management of this jewel of an island. Boracay contributes so much to our development as a country, particularly in the field of tourism, and yet there is not one body in charge of Boracay,” the Ilonggo solon lamented.
Binay asked the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to finalize its medium-term development and physical framework plan to rehabilitate Boracay.
“We hope NEDA would be able to come up with a plan even before October so we can assess and see how its comprehensive development plan would integrate physical, environmental, social, economic, and institutional plans of government agencies in charge of Boracay’s rehabilitation,” she said.
‘SOFT OPENING’
Boracay may have a “soft opening” on the first week of September, according to the interagency task force overseeing the island’s rehabilitation.
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), a member of the task force, gave such estimate last week.
“That’s just barely a month before the (October) deadline. I assume they can do it, and we will monitor their compliance with this commitment. This came from them,” said Drilon.
The government closed Boracay in April 26. Tourism activities ceased. Its reopening after five months would pave the way for the reemployment of workers in the island displaced by the closure, said Drilon.
“The reforms that will be instituted will not be finished by that time but at least the minimum requirements that meet environmental standards will be in place,” he added./PN
