Task force aims to hasten remaining Boracay rehabilitation activities

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The Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) presented its assessment of the remaining Boracay rehabilitation activities and subsequently conducted a meeting with the alternate members of the task force last March 8-11, 2022 at Boracay Island, Malay Aklan.

The meeting aimed to move forward in pursuing long-term goal of restoring the natural beauty of the Island and to regain its prestige as a “paradise on earth”.

Key DENR officials and the alternate BIATF members cemented their commitment to complete their mandate on the rehabilitation of Boracay until June 30, 2022 pursuant to Executive Order No. 147, s. 2022.

“There is a need for us to firm up DENR’s position in the rehabilitation of Boracay and to commit to it for the succeeding months to come,” said Undersecretary Ernesto D. Adobo Jr., who led the meeting as head of BIATF Secretariat.

The four-day activity centers on updates regarding the progress of the rehabilitation of Boracay Island as well as the pressing concerns to be addressed and their corresponding action plans, pursuant to the Boracay Action Plan (BAP).

Before the end of the four day activity a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) was entered into by the DENR with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), Boracay Inter-Agency Rehabilitation and Management Group (BIARMG), National Housing Authority (NHA), Provincial Government of Aklan, and Municipal Government of Malay to provide a  relocation/resettlement site for Boracay workers whose houses were affected by the rehabilitation activities.

The MOU aims to provide a framework of cooperation and partnership among the member-agencies that shall jointly facilitate the establishment of the Boracay Workers Village (BWV).

Pursuant to EO No. 53 s. 2018, the Interagency Task Force formulated the BAP that served as a guide for Boracay Island’s rehabilitation.

The BAP highlights four thematic areas namely, Enforcement of Laws and Regulation (Theme 1); Pollution Control and Prevention (Theme 2); Rehabilitation and Recovery of Ecosystems (Theme 3); and Sustainability of Island Activities (Theme 4). The rehabilitation activities focused on these four thematic areas which ultimately aims to ensure the conservation and protection of Boracay Island. (DENR-6)