BAGUIO CITY — The environmental degradation issue now hounding the island resort of Boracay municipality in Aklan could be due to years of lack of participatory governance–or simply, lack of coordination–a government official said here on Tuesday.
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Austere Panadero, on the sidelines of the Open Government and Participatory Governance regional dialogue for Luzon (cluster 2) here, said Boracay’s situation now did not happen overnight, but took about 10 years to blow up.
“Ang sitwasyon (sa Boracay) hindi nangyari nang biglaan, mahabang panahon, may mga nangyayari 10 years back that compounded the situation today (The situation in Boracay did not happen overnight; it took many years; some happened even 10 years back that compounded the situation today),” Panadero said, pointing out there was lack of participatory governance in Boracay.
Panadero said participatory governance is bringing all sectors together, getting inputs from various sectors in the locality to come up with a decision on issues, including plans and programs that have future effects on the community.
He said the government is now looking closely at the situation and those found to have done well would be praised, while those who did wrong would be punished.
He said the DILG, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the local government units concerned would come up with a consolidated report and united stand on how to save the place from further destruction.
“Sa kasalukuyan lahat yan inaaral na mabuti (at present, all those are being studied very well),” the official said, noting the different sectors in Boracay vary in their plans of action.
“May business sector, local government, development councils–hindi nagkatugma-tugma ng balak kung ano gagawin. Siguro ang isangscenario nangyari dyan, napakabilis ng development, ang pagtayo ng mga commercial establishments. Hindi nakasabay ng husto anginfrastructure, maraming shortcuts. So yun ang naging dahilan kung ano yung mga nangyayari ngayon (There is the business sector, local government, development councils–their plans did not align with each other. Maybe, one scenario that happened there is too rapid development. The construction of commercial establishments was not able to equal that of the infrastructure requirement. A lot of shortcuts were done. That is the reason for what is happening at present).”
Panadero described the Boracay issue as a “template for future development”.
“That is the guidance that the Cabinet has given to all implementing agencies involved in implementing the environmental laws,” he said. (Liza Agoot/PNA)
