Group calls for study of Boracay land reform plan

MANILA, Philippines — The government should thoroughly study the impact of converting Boracay into an agrarian reform area for the island’s stakeholders, an official of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP) said yesterday.

“The details regarding the conversion of Boracay into an agrarian reform area are still sparse so we really don’t have a definite stand on it yet except to say that if it is the plan, we would encourage the government to take a hard look at its effects on all stakeholders on the island,” TCP president Jojo Clemente told The STAR.

“We need to look at the revenues that are projected to be generated by agriculture vis-a-vis tourism revenues and determine which would be more beneficial to the economy,” he added.

In 2017, Boracay generated an estimated P56 billion in tourism receipts, according to data from the Aklan provincial tourism office.

Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary John Castriciones said that tourism establishments in Boracay might soon be limited to only the beachfront areas.

“We would still maintain Boracay as a tourist destination but we would probably limit it in the areas which are near the beaches because apparently those are the areas where tourists – both foreign and local – are more interested in,” Castriciones said.

DAR undersecretary for policy, planning and research David Erro said on Monday that around 845 hectares of the island could be subjected to the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

Boracay is currently closed to tourists to pave the way for the island’s rehabilitation.

Meanwhile, the Boracay Island Water Co. is fast-tracking the construction of water treatment projects on the island to accommodate all establishments, including non-Boracay Water consumers or those who are being served by other water service providers.

In March, the water company launched an intensified campaign encouraging establishments to connect to its sewer network, according to Manila Water Co. corporate communications head Jeric Sevilla.

To date, around 120 establishments and residences have signified their intention to be connected to Boracay Water sewer system.

The company’s move is in compliance with President Duterte’s Executive Order No. 53, mandating all establishments in Boracay to connect to the island’s central wastewater facility.

“The company is expecting to receive more applications as it has recently standardized the cost for sewer connection even for non-Boracay Water customers within the duration of the closure period. This will allow more commercial and residential establishments to discharge their wastewater into a reliable sewer system and ensure that wastewater discharges are fully compliant with existing effluent standards of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. More than 500 establishments have yet to be connected in areas where Boracay Water has an established sewer network,” Sevilla said.

He said more than 1,200 establishments and residences are directly connected to Boracay Water’s sewer network.

“For unsewered areas or areas with no existing sewer network, regular desludging or siphoning services are being done through the company’s desludging trucks, which collect wastewater for treatment in the two sewage treatment plants of Boracay Water located in barangays Manocmanoc and Balabag,” Sevilla said.

To speed up the rehabilitation of the island, Boracay Water’s projects are in accordance with a water master plan approved by the Regulatory Office of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA).

“As the leading water and wastewater operator on the island, Boracay Water is the only service provider on the Island that is working closely with TIEZA and the various local stakeholder groups to continuously provide and expand centralized wastewater systems on the island,” Sevilla said.  – With Rhodina Villanueva

Related video: