Malay LGU violates Boracay easement

The municipal government of Malay, Aklan is not halting the construction of its P4.98-million information center on the beach of Boracay despite criticism that the structure is within the 30-meter shoreline easement or no-build zone.

The center – expected to be completed in May – will have a toilet for tourists and residents.

“I admit that the toilet is on the beach line area. If we will not push through its construction, we do not know where we will be placing our information and assistance center and the toilet,” said Malay Executive Assistant Rowen Aguirre.

Construction started last year yet. The project has drawn flak from environmentalists.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has started a crackdown on violators of environmental laws in Boracay after President Rodrigo Duterte called it a “cesspool” early this month.

Fueling Boracay environment’s degradation over the years were runaway development, the influx of people beyond the island’s carrying capacity, poor implementation of environmental regulations, and encroachment of structures, according to DENR secretary Roy Cimatu.

DENR Region 6 director Jim Sampulna said his office would be strictly imposing the 30-meter easement between the shoreline and establishments on the beachfront of Boracay.

“They are not allowed to have their establishments within the 30 meters easement from the highest tide,” said Sampulna.

Cimatu deployed a “mission team” to address the environmental woes in the world-famous island.

The team is composed of 50 personnel from six DENR regional offices.

“Their mission is to rehabilitate and restore Boracay into a paradise again. We are given six months by the President,” said Cimatu.

Boracay has been divided into six areas. Each of the six DENR regional offices is assigned an area to work on.

In Malacañang yesterday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said, “The directive of the President is to remind the LGUs that it is their obligation to safeguard the environment.”

Duterte had warned that LGUs concerned may face “criminal liability” for their failure to address environmental issues in Boracay.

Boracay is under the jurisdiction of Malay and concomitantly the provincial government of Aklan.

The President “was emphatic in a Cabinet meeting to remind the LGUs they will incur criminal liability for malfeasance and misfeasance for their failure to protect the natural environment in Boracay,” said Roque.

But he also clarified that Duterte will be waiting for Cimatu’s recommendation.

Cimatu was given 60 days to “come up with recommendations on what to do with Boracay,” said Roque.

Duterte threatened to close down Boracay, the country’s top beach destination, if environmental problems there would remain unsolved.

Citing DENR’s initial findings, Cimatu said 716 of Boracay’s 834 wastewater-discharging establishments do not have discharge permits.

Such establishments are presumed to be illegally discharging wastewater into the sea, he said.

DENR also reported already serving 51 notices of violation to establishments found polluting Boracay.

Such establishments must address respective environmental violations within the specified period or face corresponding DENR charges if they fail to do so, according to the Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB).

PAB has assumed the functions of the defunct National Pollution Control Commission as to the adjudication of pollution cases.