SOCIO-ECONOMIC Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia on Friday backed the six-month closure of Boracay island in Aklan, saying the efforts toward its development were in line with the strategies in the Philippine Development Plan to ensure its ecological integrity.
“Right now, we must look into the future and take a concerted effort to improve the condition of Boracay,” Pernia said in a statement.
“We must restore its beauty that has captivated and drawn people from all over the world.”
Pernia made his statement even as the Environment department on Friday gave business owners 30 days to dismantle illegal structures in Coron, Palawan, and warned them of “DENR” impostors.
Roman Legaspi, an engineer and head of Task Force Coron, gave 75 business operators 30 days to remove their hotels, restaurants, dive shops, laundry shops and lodging and boarding houses built on the waters and within the easements zones.
He issued notices to vacate served by the task force to the erring establishments.
Pernia said the closure of Boracay to tourists was necessary to clean it up and preserve it as a prime national asset.
Earlier, the NEDA office in Western Visayas said Boracay’s closure would pave the way for its rehabilitation, the improvement of its sewerage systems and the protection of its ecologically fragile areas.
Government personnel and resources are being mobilized to carry out a comprehensive rehabilitation plan.
NEDA said such plan would adopt guidelines that would take into consideration the island’s environmental characteristics, carrying capacity and legal concerns following Presidential Proclamation 1064 signed in 2006.
Emergency responses have been lined up to take care of the vulnerable groups that will be affected by the closure, including workers, families, students, indigenous peoples, fishermen, farmers, traders and transport stakeholders.
The provincial government of Aklan has also started removing illegal structures, checking infrastructure and connections and issuing notices over the violations of easement provisions.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier approved Boracay’s closure for six months effective April 26.
Duterte approved during a Cabinet meeting the recommendation of the Interior, Environment and Tourism departments to close Boracay for six months to give way to its rehabilitation.
Describing Boracay as a cesspool, Duterte said he was amenable to a six-month closure of the island, even as the Trade department proposed a phased closure in consideration of the locals who depend on the tourism industry for their livelihoods.