MANILA – With more tourists returning to Boracay Island as travel restrictions ease, a water firm is spending PHP291 million for its water and wastewater service projects on the island and for ensuring compliance with its regulatory service obligations over the next three years.
“Despite the island’s closure in 2018 and the Covid-19 pandemic paralyzing island operations in 2020, the company remained steadfast to its commitment in providing reliable and quality water and wastewater services to Boracay Island’s locals, tourists, and commercial and industrial establishments,” Boracay Water said in a statement on Thursday.
Boracay Water is a subsidiary of Manila Water Philippine Ventures and a concessionaire of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority.
For the next three years, the company will upgrade and rehabilitate the Nabaoy and Caticlan pumping stations, Caticlan water treatment plant, and water network to ensure that its water supply and distribution system would continue to deliver 24/7 quality water supply even during a natural calamity, such as typhoons and earthquakes.
Under its social flagship program “Tubig Para sa Barangay,” which aims to provide sustainable water to low-income households, a water pipelaying project in Barangay Yapak costing PHP1.2 million started in January 2023 where 160 households stand to benefit.
On wastewater management, Boracay Water is currently upgrading its sewage treatment plants in Barangay Balabag and Manoc-Manoc to comply with the requirements mandated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Administrative Order (DAO) 2021-19.
DAO 2021-19 covers the updating of the general effluent standards for the parameters, such as ammonia as NH3-N, fecal coliform, and phosphate as phosphorus.
To provide support to the Environmental Management Bureau and the local government unit of Malay on the implementation of Republic Act 9275 or “The Clean Water Act”, Boracay Water has allotted PHP108 million to provide free mandatory sewer connection to 1,860 households residing within 100 meters from the available sewer network starting 2023.
This is to ensure that the wastewater will be treated before being discharged to the water bodies in Boracay Island in compliance with DENR Class SB Standards.
Boracay Water encourages establishments that are within 100 meters to connect to its available sewer network to ensure the sustainability and protection of the island’s pristine beaches.
It also prioritizes the protection of the environment through its Highland to Ocean program.
The environmental program aims to protect the Nabaoy River and watershed, which is the lone source of water for Boracay Island.
As of Thursday, 40 hectares of land comprising the watershed have been adopted for appropriate management and 33,320 trees have been committed for planting in the next five years. (with reports from Perfecto Raymundo Jr., PNA)
