MANILA – The government is on the right track to bring back the old glory of the world-famous Boracay Island, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu said Wednesday.
“We will be able to open Boracay again and take pride in bringing back the island to its former glory,” Cimatu said during the presentation of accomplishments by the Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAM-DRR) in the third and last pre-State of the Nation Address (SONA) Forum at the Philippine International Convention Center.
“Boracay Island will not be seen again as a cesspool,” he added, drawing applause from the audience of the last pre-SONA forum before President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his third SONA at the Batasang Pambansa on July 23.
Cimatu said the inter-agency task force led by the DENR has so far removed a number of illegal structures built on areas classified as forestlands and wetlands.
“We are now rushing to address the deterioration of Boracay within the six-month period given to us by the President,” he said.
He said the inter-agency task force headed by the DENR has identified establishments that discharge their untreated wastewater directly to the sea, one of the major reasons why Duterte had described the famous beach destination as a “cesspool”.
After the Boracay rehabilitation, Cimatu said the DENR will examine other major tourist destinations, including Palawan, Panglao and Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro, for possible violations of environmental laws.
He said the department will open a unit dedicated to the monitoring and improvement of the environmental issues in the country’s tourist destinations, particularly on Boracay Island.
“After six months of rehabilitation, we will stay there (Boracay) to make sure that all establishments will continue to follow environmental laws,” Cimatu said.
During the pre-SONA 2018 forum, which carried the theme, “Tatak ng Pagbabago”, the CCAM-DRR, chaired by Cimatu, also presented the government’s efforts to increase adaptive capacities of vulnerable communities, particularly in 22 vulnerable provinces, 822 coastal communities, and four major urban centers throughout the country.
He reported zero casualty when Mayon Vocano erupted in January this year, while the number of families affected by typhoons and other natural disasters has decreased by 43 percent.
The environment chief also reported that the cost of damages to infrastructure and agriculture has dropped by 79 percent.
A total of PHP77.75 billion has been used to assist about 3.3 million households affected by different calamities and hazards, he said, adding that weather forecasting and earthquake monitoring facilities have been installed in 34 areas of the country.
Since July 2017, he said the DENR and its partners have been able to plant trees on more than 184,500 hectares, bringing to 1.87 million hectares the total number of areas covered by the Enhanced National Greening Program (E-NGP).
E-NGP is the government’s flagship reforestation initiative that will serve as the government’s top strategy to mitigate climate change impacts.
Under the program, more than 5,000 hectares, including 3,700 areas affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda, are now covered by mangrove and beach forest plantations.
Cimatu said the issuance of Presidential Proclamation No. 489, which declared 352,000 hectares within the Philippine Rise as a marine resource reserve, and the enactment of Republic Act No. 11038 or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (E-NIPAS) Act have ensured better conservation and protection of the environment.
“Enhanced efforts in environmental law enforcement have yielded results against illegal loggers, miners and wildlife traffickers,” he said.
For the past 12 months, almost 1.5 million board feet of forest products and 784 live animals with a market value of PHP51 million have been confiscated while 51 cases have been filed against violators.
The clean-up drive for Laguna Lake has also been a success with the demolition of 90 illegal structures covering 652 hectares. A total of 668 hectares more will be cleared to increase the lake’s carrying capacity for fish pens and cages.
Cimatu said the Philippines seeks to pursue a low-carbon future with the implementation of more renewable energy projects and low carbon technologies, such as e-trikes and solar-powered lamps and street lights.
“We will increase renewable energy installed capacity to at least 20,000 megawatts,” he said.
Cimatu vowed to pursue plans and programs that “undoubtedly” show the government’s resolve to deal decisively with extreme weather events and disturbances.
“There are more works to do and to improve,” Cimatu said.
According to a study by the World Bank, the Philippines is among the top 12 countries with the highest risk of experiencing the hazards of climate change and in terms of vulnerability to tropical cyclones. (PNA)
