BUSINESS tycoon Lucio Tan has offered to build a second drainage system in Boracay Island, a Palace official said.
In a radio interview on Monday, Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said Tan sent a letter to the concerned agencies regarding his offer.
“There’s a letter from Lucio Tan, because he owns the Boracay Tubi there, he supplies water but he has no sewerage system. He said he wants to build a drainage,” Roque said in an interview with dzMM radio.
Aside from the Boracay Island Water Company, Inc., Tan also supplies water to the island through Boracay Tubi.
Roque said Tan’s proposed drainage system would connect to a wastewater treatment facility, ensuring that the water that comes out to the sea is clean.
“And the drainage will connect to a waste water treatment. So it means the rainwater, the water used by other people will be treated,” he said.
Environment Undersecretary Jonas Leones said his office has asked Tan to provide more details about his proposal.
Tan’s plan comes as a government panel composed of the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources, Interior and Local Government, and Tourism recommended the closure of Boracay for six months beginning April 26.
The recommendation is subject to President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval.
Duterte likened the world-famous tourist destination to a “cesspool,” prompting the creation of an inter-agency task force for the rehabilitation of the island.
On March 20, the President expressed support for the recommended temporary closure of Boracay.
Last week, Roque said Duterte might consider implementing the recommendation during the “lean season” to allow the nonstop construction of drainage and sewage systems in the entire island.
“We’re looking at possibly, if the President finally accepts the recommendation, (Boracay will be closed during) lean season,” the Palace official said.
“They want to close it so they can do all the required capital investments for the drainage and sewage treatment unimpeded by tourists and other individuals. So if they decide to actually construct waste water facilities and waste drainage system, they would have to destroy all roads, to expand all roads, put treatments under the roads,” he added. (C.S. Valente, TMT)