‘Malay must ensure proper Boracay waste mgt’

The local government unit (LGU) of Malay, Aklan may face more charges for failing to address the garbage problem in this island resort, warned the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

NSWMC executive director Eli Ildefonso said the Malay LGU “has yet to ensure that the [Ecological] Solid Waste Management Act [of 2000] is properly implemented.”

“Our team already finished cleaning the island of solid waste 30 days after Boracay was closed,” said Ildefonso, stressing that the wastewater problem needs immediate action.

Boracay has been closed since April 26. It is currently undergoing a half-year rehabilitation led by an interagency government task force.

Ineffective waste disposal system had been blamed for environmental problems in the island.

The Interior department already filed charges against local officials before the Office of the Ombudsman over the management of Boracay.

The agency accused Aklan governor Florencio Miraflores of “serious neglect of duty” to ensure sustainability in the tourist destination.

On the other hand, Mayor Ciceron Cawaling and 15 municipal government officials were accused of issuing establishments permits to operate even without the required fire safety inspection certificate.

Meanwhile, Municipal Councilor Maylynn Graf, chairwoman of Malay’s Sangguniang Bayan committee on environment, said she requested the NSWMC to inspect the sanitary landfill in the mainland once Boracay reopens in October.

“We want the NSWMC to see the condition of the sanitary landfill,” she said./

Series of power interruptions in Boracay for six months

Residents and stakeholders in Boracay should expect a series of power interruptions in five months according to the Aklan Electric Cooperative (AKELCO).

Engr. Joel Martinez, assistant general manager for engineering said that the series of power interruptions is caused by the ongoing rehabilitation of this resort island.

The Department of Public Works and Highways is currently undergoing road widening project in this resort island. Because of this, the AKELCO will also have to transfer its electric poles and distribution lines.

Aside from AKELCO, cable television providers and telecommunication facilities will also do a series of line transfers.

Sources said that telecommunication facilities and cable TV firms will place their lines underground while that of AKELCO will still be kept on poles.

“Based on our data, in Boracay we have an over all 881 electrical posts. Some 471 of which will be transferred to nearby locations. The replacement of posts will run along the stretch of 20 kilometers from 39.84 kilometers of line. Around 218 units of transformers will also be transferred including 3,500 meters of electric meters,” Martinez said.

The AKELCO management has already started giving out public advisories in this resort island regarding place and length of time of power interruptions.

Martinez said the AKELCO has plans of placing its distribution lines underground but they have no funds at the moment.

Boracay officials plan to prohibit plastic products in Malay town

The local council is eyeing to prohibit “single-use plastics” not only in this resort island but in the entire Malay town.

Single-use plastics, also known as disposable plastics, are products used only once. Examples of these are toothbrush, toothpaste tubes, shaving razor, shower cap, room slippers, sewing kit, sachets of shampoo or conditioner, liquid body soap, comb, plastic bottled water, plastic straws, coffee stirrers, cotton swabs, sachets of coffee, sugar and creamer, plastic spoons, fork and knives.

“A big percentage of Boracay’s trash is composed of ‘single-used plastics’ utilized by certain business establishments,” Malay Councilor Maylynn A. Graf said.

According to Graf, while these products offer convenience to travelers and tourists, these also a “huge” impact on the environment of Boracay and Malay. This can be seen in the growing stream of waste being generated daily, especially before Boracay was closed on April 26.

The national government declared the resort island off-limits to tourists and travelers for six months so that rehabilitation could take place.

Graf, chairman of the committee on environment, sponsored an ordinance banning single-use plastics.

If the ordinance would be realized, she said this will be considered a first in the Philippines and greatly benefit reduction in solid waste.

Graf noted the Philippines is known as the third largest in the world in terms of generating plastic waste that ends up in oceans. She didn’t say where she acquired that data.

PCCI-Aklan wants review of cancellation of flights

The local chapter of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI-Aklan) urges government, especially the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, to review the cancellation of several plane flights at the Kalibo International Airport (KIA).

PCCI-Aklan Secretary-General Guidon de la Cruz said several flights to and from Metro Manila and Cebu have been canceled after nearby Boracay Island was ordered closed for six months starting on April 26.

The closure also saw airline companies doubling ticket prices bound for the KIA.

“Because of this, businessmen, students and balikbayans have to travel to other nearby airports, such as the Caticlan Airport and the Roxas City Airport, to go to Manila. Direct flights to Cebu have also been canceled,” de la Cruz said.

“The reduction of commercial flights at the KIA created economic difficulties for both passengers and cargo traffic,” he added. Meanwhile, the roll-on, roll-off service from Caticlan to Batangas port is also full, brought about by summer travel and strong basic trade between Luzon and the Visayas region, he added.

The PCCI-Aklan board has filed a resolution to engage airline firms in consultation, thereby encouraging them to provide additional flight for Manila-Kalibo and restore the Kalibo-Cebu route even on limited basis.

“The reduction of plane flights also does not help promote local tourism, trade and commerce, which are supposed to be increasing due to expansion of e-commerce, resulting into convenience in the movement of people and goods across our islands,” de la Cruz further said.

Most business groups in Western Visayas support wage-hike proposal

Most business groups under the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) back the proposal for a wage increase of employees in Western Visayas.

All the provincial chapters in the region have collectively sent manifestation of support of a proposed wage hike. Only PCCI’s Iloilo chapter registered opposition.

The PCCI members in the region said they support the proposal lodged by the Philippine Agricultural, Commercial, and Industrial Workers Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (Paciwu-TUCP) on January 22. Paciwu-TUCP’s petition remained with the office of Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board in Region 6 for nearly four months now.

The petition urges businesses to adopt an additional P130 to P150 daily minimum-wage increase on top of the current P271.50 and P323.50, depending on the industry and the number of workers employed. The petition cites the reduction of the purchasing power of workers with the increases in prices of oil and basic commodities.

The last minimum-wage order in the region took effect on March 16, 2017.

Frank A. Carbon, former PCCI regional governor and currently CEO of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said his group, the PCCI chapters of Aklan and Boracay are for increasing wages.

Carbon said despite the closure of Boracay for six months, “business groups in the province did not surrender and instead worked harder.”

“Many businesses in Boracay also didn’t close their stores,” he added. “They [continue to] keep [their businesses] open. I don’t have an explanation now for this unselfish and selfless actions but I believe this is the right thing to do at the moment.”

Likewise, PCCI-Aklan President Ramel  V. Buncalan said the board has issued a position paper supporting the proposed wage increase.

“As early as March when the announcement of the then impending ‘Boracay closure’ was abruptly announced without due consultation and planning, businesses in the island and mainland Aklan had already felt the reduced confidence in doing business in the province,” part of the position paper states.

“But despite these challenges, businesses have implemented intermediary mechanisms to maintain their work force until losses would have been recovered in the anticipated opening of a ‘better’ Boracay Island,” it added.

West Cove Resort demolition halted after owner uses letter from Palace

The owner of Boracay Island West Cove Management Inc. has received a respite from the demolition of his business after receiving a letter from Malacañang.

Hotel owner Crisostomo Aquino said it was only recently that he received the order to stop the demolition from the Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs.

In a two-page letter dated March 23, Acting Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs of the Office of the President Ryan Alvin R. Acosta said, however, they have yet to decide on Aquino’s appeal.

It could be recalled that several years ago the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has canceled the Forest Land Use for Tourism Purposes, called FlagT, of the said resort for alleged environmental violations. The management has appealed to the Malacañang.

In March Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu asked Aquino to voluntarily demolish part of the resort to which the latter acquiesced.

But Aquino said the demolition order was more a political than an environmental cause. He also questioned the authority of the local government to close and demolish his resort while he cited a pending appeal to Malacañang.

“If ever Malacañang will render a decision [that ] would be against us, we still [have] an option to go to the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court,” Aquino said.

For his part, Livino Duran, assistant regional director of the DENR-Western Visayas said that the local government of Malay has jurisdiction over Malacañang’s order.

Malay waste-to-energy plant being fast-tracked

A waste-to-energy plant is expected to rise soon in the mainland of Malay, Aklan, and which many hopes would solve the increasing problems on waste not only in this resort island but also in the province of Aklan.

Malay Councilor Floribar Bautista, chairman of the  public works committee, said negotiations with the El Elyon-Orion Renewable Solutions Corp., a Vietnam-based company, are being fast-tracked.

The said company has been consistent with its proposal for several years already. It is, however, yet to be accommodated by the local government because of technicalities in the paper works.

“The council is now bent on giving authority to the local chief executive to enter into contracts with the said company. I hope the proceeding will be smooth,” Bautista said.

The company will be utilizing the 6-hectare lot in Barangay Kabulihan, he added.

“Under the proposed agreement, the El Elyon Orion will build and operate the plant free of charge to the local government. The counterpart of the local government, however, is the commitment of the 6  hectare availability,” Bautista explained.

It was learned that once operated, the power plant is also open to idea to accept wastes from the other 16 towns of Aklan.

For her part, El Elyon-Orion CEO Rossa Borres said the proposed project has already secured approval from the government.

“Our waste technology is of heterogeneous type, wherein it will utilized all kinds of wastes to be converted into energy,” Borres said during a meeting with the local council here.

The local government of Malay is expecting a demand of 50 megawatts  to 60 MW of electricity in ten years.