By Azer Parrocha/Philippine News Agency
MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte has approved an action plan to sustain government efforts to rehabilitate and maintain the beauty of Boracay Island after its six-month shutdown which began April 26 last year.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte approved of the action plan during Monday’s six-hour Cabinet meeting.
“We likewise announce the approval of the Boracay Medium-Term Action Plan which will sustain the efforts of the government after its closure,” Panelo said in a statement on Tuesday.
Citing National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Director General and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia and Undersecretary Adoracion Navarro, Panelo said the action plan will have four themes.
The action plan will ensure the “enforcement of laws where there will be intervention on the regulation of visitors and hotel accommodations.”
It will ascertain “prevention where there will be interventions on the sewerage infrastructure, solid and liquid waste management.”
The action plan will also ensure the “rehabilitation and recovery of ecosystems.”
It will guarantee the “sustainability of activities in the island such as improvement of roads and public health infrastructure, construction of permanent housing program for indigenous people and education facilities.”
Last year, Duterte ordered the temporary closure of Boracay Island after branding the tourist destination as a “cesspool” due to environmental problems brought about by a mismanaged sewerage system last year.
Boracay reopened its doors on Oct. 26, 2018 after being given the go-signal by the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force to accept visitors.
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