Boracay Bizmen Act On Garbage Crisis

By ; BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan – The Boracay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) has started its two-year plan to address the garbage problem of the island.
Karen Reina, BCCI president and project chairperson, said “the original program is now a 3-component program dubbed as “Boracay Lives!” designed to solve the ever-growing solid waste crisis.”
The P4-million Boracay Ecological Education Campaign and Material Recovery Facility (MRF) project is funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and BCCI under Pearl 2 (Private Enterprise Accelerated Resources Linkages).
“Unknown to many, the BCCI has started its program with Pearl 2 on the eco-education campaign. So far, we have only received dire warnings on why our project will fail; many are waiting in the sidelines, joining only if it started to succeed. Wake up! The time to act is now! No community-based program will work if the community stands by and watches,” Reina said.
The project aims to reduce the volume of solid waste, to increase the volume of recycling and for visitors and guests to be aware and follow the environmental laws of the island.
“Let us stop saying why it cannot be done; let us start saying why it can be done! Let us show everyone else how, no matter how daunting it may seem, a mountain can be moved when the will is there,” Reina pointed out.
BCCI has identified several activities over a period of 24 months to implement and sustain the Pearl 2 project, among others, the conduct of eco-education and information campaigns for stakeholders; capability-building for BCCI to service the needs of BCCI’s area of responsibility; the setting-up of MRF that will recycle and re-use the solid waste of the island and the holding of annual event to promote environmental awareness among students in Boracay schools.
Agnes Acero, project assistant for the program, said “the ecological education campaign started with a cluster of 31 establishments and 10 households in Sitio Angol in Barangay Manoc-Manoc.”
She stressed that briefing on ecologically sustainable practices and the proper handling of garbage has been initiated by BCCI.
“We started to implement the ecological education campaign with our BCCI members in the island. This Pearl 2 project of BCCI will surely strengthen the capability of stakeholders to reduce, re-use and recycle the solid waste generated,” Acero added.
She said the project is in conformity with the DENR’s Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and with the Environmental Consent Agreement (ECONA). It is closely working with Oikos Society with Roland Nillas as project consultant.
BCCI stressed that the Philippine Tourism Authority has allowed the use of its Wastewater Treatment Facility Area for the solid waste disposal program and a recycling facility.
Last June 1, Aklan governor Carlito Marquez, Malay mayor Ceciron Cawaling and DENR special action officer Zoilo Andin also agreed to close the existing dumpsite in Barangay Balabag to put an end to the island’s garbage crisis. /MP