Destinations known | Boracay clean-up is ‘almost there’, says Philippine environment secretary, but sewage still being dumped in sea
Despite an absence of holidaymakers and operational businesses, Philippine officials are still finding sewage in the sea
There are still two months to go until Boracay reopens to tourists, on October 26, but already the description of the island as a “cesspool” – in the words of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte – no longer applies, at least according to Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu.
Speaking at an event to celebrate the 31st anniversary of the establishment of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Cimatu told reporters that White Beach, Boracay’s famed stretch of powder-fine sand and crystalline waters, is clean once again and that the water quality has improved. In fact, all that remains to be done is the “finishing of the roads and implementing of all the decongestion in the area”, said Cimatu, adding “we are almost there.”
If true, Boracay has made a rather miraculous recovery, the island having struggled to deal with the amount of sewage it generated before the April closure. To rectify the situation, the DENR is installing a new sewage system, which will be completed in September, Cimatu told CNN Philippines on August 9 – contradicting somewhat his statement that the lion’s share of the work had already been completed. He explained that pipes transporting treated sewage and waste water would open into the sea at least 1km from the shoreline, an upgrade on the existing arrangement, which saw raw sewage pumped directly into the ocean.
As many as 200 establishments were not connected to the sewer lines, and although there are no reports to suggest that this has been remedied, all hotels and resorts on White Beach with 50 rooms or more have been ordered to install their own sewage treatment plants. Those with less than 50 rooms were instructed to work together to make “clustered” treatment plants. Following treatment, the sewage will be sent into the ocean.
The Department of Tourism opens accreditation for Boracay businesses on August 16, without which companies will not be allowed to operate. To receive accreditation, all environmental and legal requirements must be met.
