BORACAY ISLAND -- A one-stop shop will soon be opened in this island where establishments can fulfill their requirements in compliance with existing laws and regulations so they could operate in time for the island’s reopening this October 26.
This was among the results of the third Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force meeting on Friday afternoon led by Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu.
As part of the government’s assistance to establishments in observing “no compliance, no operation” policy upon the island’s reopening, the one-stop shop will house the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and of Tourism (DOT).
“Those who are already compliant can also go to the one-stop shop to secure a clearance from the three agencies,” he said.
Cimatu said that they are being strict with the compliance of the establishments to the requirements especially the environmental compliance certificate (ECC) because they have found out that there are several establishments operating without complete requirements.
He added that they are yet to identify the place where this one-stop shop will be put-up, as well as the date when it will start operating.
For the meantime, he said, establishments could already process their requirements with DENR at the Casa Pilar.
Cimatu said that an average of 90 establishments are visiting their office daily to validate their compliance to environmental laws.
“We are giving chances to operate,” he said.
In a meeting of the various stakeholders in the island last July 25 led by the DOT in Western Visayas, the department presented the requirements for the accreditation.
Businesses have to secure the ECC, certificate of non-coverage (CNC), discharge permit, and permit to operate for them to be environmental compliant.
They also need to secure LGU requirements which include, among others, the 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. (PNA)
