DENR vows continuous Boracay rehabilitation

MANILA, Philippines — The rehabilitation of the world-renowned Boracay Island will continue even after its formal reopening to the public on Oct. 26.

“This is not the time for us to relax and lower our guards. Rehabilitation will continue after Oct. 26. We are just in Phase 1,” Secretary Roy Cimatu of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) yesterday said in a statement.

Cimatu, who heads the inter-agency task force in charge of Boracay’s rehabilitation, cited the ongoing road and drainage improvement projects, which were delayed due to successive typhoons.

“We lost about 30 to 40 days of work but we will be able to compensate for this and finish the drainage system,” Cimatu said.

The environment chief said that all projects will continue even after Boracay’s soft opening on Oct. 26.

On Monday, Cimatu and other officials of the Inter-Agency Task Force Boracay, led the reopening of the island to locals for a ten-day test run, almost six months after its shutdown for massive clean up and rehabilitation.

Cimatu announced during the reopening that Boracay waters are fit for swimming based on the standards set by the DENR.

“We offer to you now a better Boracay,” Cimatu said. “Boracay beaches are now a sight to behold and the entire island will even be grander in the near future.”

Famous for its powdery white sand and pristine blue waters, Boracay has been named several times as one of the best beaches in the world.

On April 26, however, President Duterte issued Presidential Proclamation No. 475 ordering the closure of Boracay to tourists for six months to pave the way for its rehabilitation due to sewerage problems and degradation caused by overdevelopment.

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