‘Penalize violators, reward compliant biz’

Sen. Cynthia Villar, along with other stakeholders, expressed concern over the proposed closure of this popular island destination.

Villar, chairwoman of the Senate committee on environment, led on Friday the public hearing on environmental law violations in the island.

Senators Loren Legarda, Nancy Binay, Joel Villanueva, and Miguel Zubiri joined Villar in the hearing that was also attended by other stakeholders – such as resort owners and residents.

Villar said Boracay’s closure will not be good for the business sector.

“What we recommend is we close those [business establishments] that are violators and reward those compliant as we let them [remain] open,” Villar stressed.

The Senate has earlier requested Environment secretary Roy Cimatu to appeal to President Rodrigo Duterte not to shut down Boracay.

The President on Feb. 9 called the island a “cesspool” and threatened to close it if its environmental problems remain unsolved within six months.

Hours before the hearing, Villar inspected about three resorts in the island for their compliance with the 30-meter no-build easement zone from the shore and their connection to the sewage treatment plant.

She also checked the treatment plant of the Boracay Island Water Company, the material recovery facility of the island in Sitio Bung-aw, Barangay Manoc-manoc, and the wetland area of the island to check the storm water impounded area.

Meanwhile, architect Jennifer Romualdez, vice president of the Global Estates Resort, Inc., said they are also worried over the mulled tourist hotspot closure.

“If that happens, we could not do anything about it. We will just continue working with our master plan for our development area in Boracay,” Romualdez said.

Elena Brugger of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Boracay said they have been receiving many cancellations of island visits despite the closure not being final.

Some 20,000 workers may lose their jobs if Boracay shuts down, labor groups in Western Visayas have said.