BORACAY ISLAND, Aklan — Only 67 Boracay establishments have so far complied with various environmental laws, the Environmental Management Bureau in Western Visayas (EMB-6) has said.
Sophie Manuel, Regional Director of EMB-6, presented these data during the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC) meeting here on Friday.
She said they are still processing the applications of 353 other establishments.
“We are hoping to finish the evaluation soon so they would be considered compliant,” she added.
Manuel said they have accounted around 1,215 establishments, which should comply with the environmental laws as she warned that “there is a standing order that those that are non- compliant cannot operate.”
She said these environmental laws include the Clean Air Act; Clean Water Act; Hazardous Waste Law; Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (Republic Act 9003); and Presidential Decree 1586 or the establishment of environmental impact system.
Manuel said other establishments may have not yet submitted their applications because they are still putting up their sewage treatment plants (STP), which is a requirement under the Memorandum Circular No.2018-06 of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Under the memorandum, establishments with 50 rooms and above are required to have their own STP while those with 49 rooms and below to have clustered ones.
The compliance to the environmental laws is just one of the requirements before an establishment could seek accreditation from the Department of Tourism 6 (DOT-6).
They should also have, among others, mayor’s permit, barangay clearance, Bureau of Internal Revenue annual registration, clearance certificate from the Social Security System, occupancy permit, garbage fee, sanitary permit, real property tax clearance (if applicable) and building permit.
The DOT-6 earlier reported that it has already accredited 25 hotels and resorts.
The initial list of accommodation establishments released by DOT comprised of 2,063 rooms or about 41 percent of its target of 5,000 rooms ready for operation by October 26. (Cindy Ferrer/PNA)
