An inter-agency task force in charge of the rehabilitation of Boracay will closely monitor compliance with the guidelines it has laid down to protect the resort island from destructive practices during its partial reopening from Oct. 15 to 25.
Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, head of the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force, said the 11-day dry run would allow government to test all systems put in place during the six-month rehabilitation of Boracay.
He appealed for cooperation and understanding from all stakeholders and local tourists, who will be among the first to experience a reinvigorated tourist paradise.
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“We will be monitoring a lot of things, from managing the entrance, exit, and stay of the tourists, to enforcing rule of law on establishments that have been found to be non-compliant to laws and regulations,” he called on.
He said the government would strictly enforce the “no compliance, no operation” policy for establishments not only during the dry run but beyond Boracay’s formal reopening on Oct. 26.
“We will not hesitate to close hotels and other establishments that would operate without clearance from the BIATF,” he said.
Cimatu urged tourists to make sure they book their accommodations with compliant hotels and similar establishments, a complete list of which will be released by the Department of Tourism.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is deploying at least 30 environmental enforcers to check on Boracay’s water quality, solid waste management, drainage and sewage systems, and occupation on forest areas and
“We are trying to correct the mistakes of the past, and we have succeeded in finding a solution to cleaning the environment. We do not want to backslide on what we have started,” Cimatu said.
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