The Department of Public Works and Highways will complete the entire 5.2-kilometer Boracay Circumferential Road and build better drainage on the island during its six-month closure and rehabilitation, Secretary Mark Villar said.
“We have six months to restore the beauty of Boracay,” Villar said in a statement issued Friday.
“For this period, we aim to complete the whole Boracay Circumferential Road that will strictly follow the 6.10-meter carriageway standard and road right-of-way on both sides, as we also plan to build sidewalks and bike lanes for the pedestrians,” he added.
This developed as the Department of Social Welfare and Development said Saturday it was suspending until next week the distribution of transportation subsidies for non-resident workers set to leave the island during its half-year closure, citing depleted funds.
Also, the Department of Labor and Employment said it started its emergency employment program (EEP) to affected Boracay workers on Friday.
Bureau of Local Employment Director Dominique Tutay said the affected workers in two barangays have started working under the EEP.
Villar said the project, which has a P490-million budget, has three sections to construct the gaps of Boracay’s major thoroughfare. and will include the demolition of structures that occupy the 12-meter government road right-of-way, and the cleaning and declogging of the existing drainage lines along the circumferential road.
The secretary personally led the team of DPWH maintenance personnel on Thursday, the first day of rehabilitation being implemented in coordination with other government agencies.
At present, roads in the island are narrow due to road right-of-way violations, with structures closely built along national roads, resulting in carriageways being shared by vehicles, pedestrians, and merchants.
Villar added that an improved drainage and sewerage system will also be incorporated along the main road to contain in-land flooding and unabated waste discharge to the beach.
President Rodrigo R. Duterte has ordered the temporary closure of Boracay to tourists for its rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, DSWD apologized and said its distribution of transportation assistance will only resume on Tuesday, May 1.
The program was halted after the department’s branch in Boracay “ran out of funds” as thousands of island workers flocked to its office in Barangay Manoc-Manoc to get their subsidy.
“We did not expect that the number of displaced workers who would avail of the assistance would double. We have to wait for the cash as there are no bank operations from Saturday to Sunday. The encashment process will only resume on Monday,” the DSWD added.
As of April 27, the department has disbursed about P4.5 million to cover transportation fares between P500 and P5,000 for at least 2,047 individuals, data from the agency showed.
About 12,000 workers and tourists left the island on Thursday as its closure gave way to rehabilitation work.
The government expects to reopen Boracay to tourists by late October, or as soon as officials solve the pollution problem on the island, crammed over the years by resorts and commercial establishments.
The DSWD said it would continue interviews and assessments over the weekend to determine which island workers are qualified to receive the assistance.