Saturday, October 20, 2018

HENANN GROUP OF RESORTS NAGBOOK NA NG MGA TURISTA KAHIT HINDI PA COMPLIANT AYON SA DENR

NALAMANG NAGBO-BOOK na ng mga turista ang Henann Group of Resorts sa Isla ng Boracay sa kabila na hindi pa ito accredited ng Department of Tourism.

Ito ang pinahayag ni Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) USec. Benny Antiporda sa isang press conference umaga ngayong Biyernes sa Isla.

Ayon kay Antiporda, hawak na nila ang reklamo ng turista na nagbook sa nasabing resort sa pamamagitan ng Agoda. Aniya ayaw umanong ibalik ng resort ang perang ibinayad ng turista.

Mahigpit ang panawagan noon ng Inter-Agency Task Force na tanging ang mga compliant establishments lamang sa Isla ang maaaring magbook ng mga turista.

Sa pinakahuling listahan na inilabas umabot na 68 accommodation establishment ang accredited ng DOT. Hindi kasama rito ang alinman sa limang resort ng Henann.

Kamakailan lang ay nabisto ng Inter-Agency Task Force na peke ang isinumiteng Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) sa Department of Tourism (DOT) para sa accreditation.

Ayon kay Antiporda wala pang Sewerage Treatment Plant ang group of resort, isang requirement para mabigyan sila ng panibagong ECC.

Nanawagan ngayon si Antiporda sa iba pang mga turista na nagbook at nagbayad sa mga resort ng Henann na magreklamo sa Inter-Agency Task Force.

Una nang nagbabala ang Task Force na ang mga non-compliant establishment na malalamang nagbo-book ng mga turista ay posibleng maharap sa kaukulang penalidad.##

-Kasimanwang Darwin Tapayan/ Energy Fm 107.7 Kalibo

MAS PINAGANDANG CAGBAN PORT BUBUNGAD SA MGA TURISTA SA PAGBUBUKAS NG ISLA NG BORACAY

ISANG MAS pinagandang Cagban Jetty Port ang sasalubong sa mga turista sa pagbubukas ng Isla ng Boracay sa darating na Oktobre 26.

Ayon kay Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) USec. Benny Antiporda, magiging highlight ng Boracay Soft Opening ang ribbon cutting ng bagong mukha ng port.

Sa isang pagkakataon, ipinasilip ni Caticlan-Cagban Jetty Port Administrator Niven Maquirang sa Energy FM Kalibo ang pagpapaganda at pagsasaayos ng nabanggit na port isang linggo bago ang Boracay Opening.

Binawalan muna ni Maquirang ang mga media na kunan ng litrato at video ang jetty port. Nais kasi ng provincial government at ng Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force na maging supresa ito.

Ilan sa mga pagbabago ng port ay ang mas malawak na entrance exit ng mga sasakyan. May mga solar panel narin na ikinabit sa port na siyang magiging source ng kuryente sa buong port.

Pagpasok ng mga turista sa port ay bubungad sa kanila ang malaking pangalang "Boracay" at malaking billboard na nagpapakita ng bagong mukha ng Isla.

Ayon kay Maquirang posibleng gamitin na ang port simula Oktobre 26.##

-Kasimanwang Darwin Tapayan/ Energy Fm 107.7 Kalibo

HENANN HINILING SA DENR NA PAYAGAN MAG-OPERATE KAHIT HINDI PA ACCREDITED

TINANGGIHAN NG Department of Environment and Natural Resources o DENR ang hiling ng Henann Group of Resorts sa Isla ng Boracay na mag-operate kahit hindi pa accredited.

Ayon kay DENR USec. Benny Antiporda, hiniling umano ng may-ari na si Henry Chosuey na payagan silang mag-operate habang ikino-comply palang nila ang mga dokumento para sa accreditation.

Nahaharap ngayon sa kontrobersiya at imbestigasyon ang group of resorts dahil sa pagsusumite ng pekeng Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) sa Department of Tourism (DOT).

Mababatid na sa inilabas na 68 accredited accomodation establishment sa Boracay ng Department of Tourism, hindi kasama rito ang alinman sa limang resort ng Henann.

Ayon kay Antiporda, kinausap umano niya ng personal ang tauhan ng Henann na nagsumite ng pekeng ECC. Paliwanag umano nito, na-excite lang siya nang makita ang ECC sa kanyang mesa at agad ipinasa sa DOT para mabigyan na ng akreditasyon.

Nabatid na handwritten lamang ang petsa sa ECC kesa sa karaniwan na itinatatak. Humingi naman umano ng paumanhin ang tauhang ito ng Hennan.

Aniya wala pa umanong Sewerage Treatment Plant ang group of resorts. Ipagpapatuloy pa ng Inter-Agency Task Force ang imbestigasyon sa kaso titingnan kung mayroon din silang pagkukulang.##

-Kasimanwang Darwin Tapayan/ Energy Fm 107.7 Kalibo

BAYAN NG LEZO IDINEKLARA NG PDEA NA DRUG CLEARED MUNICIPALITY

DINEKLARA NG Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) region 6 ang buong bayan ng Lezo na drug-cleared municipality ayon PInsp Jose Ituralde, hepe ng Lezo PNP.

Ngayong araw ng Biyernes pormal na dineklara at binigyan ng certificate ang walong barangay sa Lezo na nagsasabing drug-cleared barangay na sila.

Ang mga barangay na ito ay Bugasongan, Bagto, Ibao, Mina, Poblacion, Santa Cruz, Silakat-Nonok, Tayhawan.

Samantala, lagda na lang umano ang kulang ayon sa PDEA para sa mga sertipiko ng mga natitirang kabarangayan ng Sta. Cruz Bigaa, Carugdog, Cogon, at Agcawilan.

Para madeklara na drug-cleared ang isang lugar, kailangan ay walang presenya ng pusher o user, walang pagawaan at bagsakan ng droga.

Sukatan din ang aktibong partisipasyon ng barangay at ng munisipyo sa kampanya laban sa iligal na droga. Aktibo rin dapat sa rehabilitation program ang mga drug surrenderee.

Ipinagmalaki ni Ituralde na nakagruduate na ang mga drug surrenderee sa Lezo. Sa kabila nito, pinasiguro niya na hindi titigil ang kanilang kampanya kontra iligal na droga.

Mababatid na una nang dineklara ng PDEA ang bayan ng Buruanga bilang unang bayan sa probinsiya na drug-cleared municipality.##

SANGKA TRICYCLE DRIBER NAAKIG BANGOD SA SENSILYO NGA PISO!

Sangka pasahero ro nagdagop sa Kalibo PNP Station kahapon it hapon, suno sa reklamo it pasahero nga si April Ame Dela Vega sumakay kuno imaw sa tricycle nga may body number R4- 0863 halin sa Roxas avenue paadto sa City Mall.

Pag-abot sa lugar nagbayad imaw it P10.00 ag wa imaw pagsensilyohi. Anang ginpadumdom ro driver nga P10.00 ro anang binayad, ag ginpangayo na ro sensilyo nga piso pero sumabat kuno rong driver ag nangin arogante "Ham-an it bue-on mo pa ro piso ay naglinibot eon ngani kita".

Gina-usoy eon makaron it PNP rong driver para maistoryahan rayang reklamo.##

Kasimanwang Archie Hilario / Energy FM 107.7 Kalibo

DENR: HUWAG PANSININ ANG PETISYON NA TUMUTUTOL SA MGA PATAKARANG IPINATUTUPAD NG BORACY INTER-AGENCY TASK FORCE

Huwag pansinin. Ito ang tugon ni Department of Environment and Natural Resources USec. Benny Antiporda sa petisyong kumakalat ngayon sa Isla ng Boracay.

Sa isang press conference umaga ng Biyernes, sinabi ni Antiporda hindi umano nila kinikilala ang mga nagrereklamong non-compliant establishment bilang mga stakeholders sa Boracay.

Binigyang diin ni Antiporda na sumunod nalang ang mga ito sa ipinatutupad na batas dahil nagawa rin naman ng iba na sumunod at maging compliant.

Nabatid na bumuo na ng organisasyon ang mga compliant establishment sa Boracay para may kumatawan sa mga pagpupulong ng Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force.

Mababatid na kumukalat ngayon sa social media ang umano'y petisyon na nanawagan sa lokal na pamahalaan na tutulan ang ilang patakarang ipinatutupad ng Task Force.##

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Task force ready to fix problems as dry run puts govt interventions in Boracay to the test—Cimatu

Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu has assured that the government was prepared to address all problems that might occur during the 11-day dry run for the reopening of the world famous Boracay Island.

Cimatu said the government policies and interventions intended to protect Boracay from unsustainable tourism activities will be put to the test during the dry run, which started on Monday and will last until October 25.

“The point of the dry run is to ensure that everything will run smoothly during the soft opening on October 26,” said Cimatu, who heads the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) in charge of Boracay’s rehabilitation.

While the dry run got off to a good start, Cimatu said the BIATF would know on the third day whether the government interventions really work.

“We will only see the effects and results of all these interventions on the third day after tourist arrivals,” he said.

Cimatu said the BIATF would “not allow the rehabilitation efforts done in the past six months go to waste.”

He particularly cited the “environmental interventions” that has made Boracay “no longer a cesspool,” which was how President Rodrigo Duterte described it before the island was ordered closed to tourists in April.

“As you may have observed, there has been not only a visible improvement in water quality. Tests done by the EMB (Environmental Management Bureau) revealed that the coliform level is now down to 18.1 MPN/100 mL from thousands or even millions in some areas of the island’s waters prior to closing,” Cimatu said.

The standard coliform level is 100 most probable number per 100 milliliters of sample.

Cimatu said the EMB, a line bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, will continue to check the quality of water discharged from sewage treatment plants (STPs) on the island.

He said that solid waste disposal will also be looked into in order to make sure Boracay’s garbage are “immediately moved out and not remain on the island for more than 24 hours.”

Cimatu insisted that only establishments compliant with the requirements of the DENR, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Tourism are allowed to reopen and operate.

The DENR, he said, will only issue environmental compliance certificate (ECC) to businesses with own STPs or connected to a provider, and those not within forestlands or wetlands.

Cimatu said that tourist arrival of 6,405 persons per day will be strictly followed.

Only a total of 1,000 rooms from accredited hotels will be available for booking at any time during the day, Cimatu said.

“The BIATF is firm on 100% compliance. If you do not comply, you do not operate," Cimatu stressed.
He added: More than all these, a change in the behavior of the people—the locals and the tourists—will bring real change to Boracay.”

- DENR

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

CIMATU: STRICT COMPLIANCE WITH GUIDELINES REQUIRED EVEN DURING BORACAY DRY RUN

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES in charge of the rehabilitation of Boracay will closely monitor compliance and effectiveness of the guidelines laid down to protect the resort island from unsustainable tourism practices during its dry run or partial reopening from October 15 to 25.

Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu, head of the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF), said the 11-day dry run would allow government to test all systems put in place during the six months Boracay underwent much-needed rest and cleanup.

He therefore appealed for cooperation and understanding from all stakeholders and local tourists, who will be among the firsts to experience a reinvigorated Boracay.

“We will be monitoring a lot of things, from managing the entrance, exit, and stay of the tourists, to enforcing rule of law on establishments that have been found to be non-compliant to laws and regulations,” Cimatu said.

The former military chief said the government would strictly enforce the “no compliance, no operation” policy for establishments not only during the dry run but beyond Boracay’s formal reopening on October 26.

“We will not hesitate to close hotels and other establishments that would operate without clearance from the BIATF,” Cimatu said.

He also warned tourists who are planning to visit the island to make sure they book their accommodations with compliant hotels and similar establishments, a complete list of which will be released by the Department of Tourism.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is deploying at least 30 environmental enforcers to check on Boracay’s water quality, solid waste management, drainage and sewage systems, and occupation on forest areas and wetlands.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police have committed to help maintain peace and order on the island during the dry run leading to the October 26 reopening.

“We are trying to correct the mistakes of the past, and we have succeeded in finding a solution to cleaning the environment. We do not want to backslide on what we have started,” Cimatu said.

The BIATF recently approved a set of guidelines to ensure Boracay’s environment will be sustained and protected from the expected massive influx of local and foreign tourists.

The guidelines include a regulation on tourist arrivals and number of persons allowed to stay in Boracay, in accordance with the island’s carrying capacity.

A study conducted by the DENR’s Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau and the University of the Philippines-Los Baños revealed that the island’s daily carrying capacity is 54,945—19,215 tourists and 35,730 non-tourists, which refer to residents, migrants and stay-in workers.

During the dry run, the BIATF will be implementing a traffic scheme amid ongoing road works on the island. This includes ferrying visitors directly to the Tambisaan port or pontoons set up at different boat stations, and impounding private and public vehicles operating without permit.##

- DENR