By Katrina Gracia Consebido
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) conveyed hope that the local government of Malay, Aklan will maintain the Boracay rehabilitation as the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) expires by June 2022.
In a statement, DENR Acting Secretary Jim O. Sampulna said “the dissolution of the task force does not mean the end of the rehabilitation of the famous resort-island.”
“We are all excited to complete the rehabilitation of Boracay. But we cannot allow anyone to undo—immediately or otherwise—what we have accomplished, or to unlawfully stand in the way to the completion of our mission,” Sampulna said.
The BIATF was created by President Rodrigo Duterte through Executive Order (EO) 53 on May 8, 2018, chaired by the DENR which works with the Department of the Interior and Local Government as the vice chair, and the Department of Tourism as co vice-chair.
The BIATF’s term was extended until June 30, 2022 through EO 147.
Sampulna saud they have done their part in their department to restore the island, hoping that the successor of the next administration will be able to do more.
“Our comfort, by then, is that we have done our part as members of this task force, and that, hopefully, we will be in a position to do more, or that our successors will be able to protect and build on our gains,” he said. –ag
