Days before President Rodrigo Duterte steps down from power, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-led task force has completed the rehabilitation and management of the world-renowned Boracay Island in Aklan province.
The Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force has ended the rehabilitation and management of Boracay Island four years after the beach’s massive makeover.
“This culmination means the responsibility will now be with the local government of Malay. Please take good care of it just like what we did,” DENR Secretary Jim Sampulna said.
“The challenge here is how you can maintain Boracay’s cleanliness and sanitation, including the discipline of the people,” he added.
On May 8, 2018, the President issued Executive Order 53, directing the establishment of the BIATF to end in 2020.
The President extended the task force’s tenure until May 8, 2021 through EO 115.
On Sept. 14, 2021, the BIATF’s term was extended again until June 30, 2022 through EO 148, to give it more time to complete all its projects.
Sampulna assured the local officials that although the BIATF would no longer be at the frontline, the task force would continue to assist them to sustain the gains of the Boracay rehabilitation.
DENR through its Environmental Management Bureau is planning to put up a real-time monitoring system on the four-kilometer white beach of Boracay Island to make sure that the cleanliness of the island’s waters would be maintained.