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Unfinished drainage infra fouled up Boracay: watchdog

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ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA - The unfinished drainage system of Boracay island is one of the main reasons for the worsening pollution of its waters, a foundation working to protect the tourist hotspot said Sunday.</p><p>Nennette Aguirre-Graf, president of Boracay Foundation Inc., said the island&#x27;s drainage system was designed for flood control, but some residents and establishments use it to dispose of wastewater and sewage.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><div id="IVS_ABS_Body_Video_1_Container"> <ivs-player id="IVS_ABS_Body_Video_1" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-vid="1439208" data-ivs-floating="1"></ivs-player> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/iframe-parent.js"></script> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script> </div></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="~//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="~//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>The drainage is easily accessible because some of its sections were unfinished and the drainage canals are just made of hollow blocks, said Graf.</p><p>She added that her organization had been calling on the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), which built the drainage system, to address the problem for 8 years now.</p><p>&quot;So yun ang isa sa mga una naming ipinanawagan 8 taon na ang nakakaraaan, na ang problemang ito ay puwedeng lumaki kapag hindi ginawan ng paraan,&quot; Graf told DZMM radio.</p><p>(This was one of the things we called for 8 years ago, that this problem would worsen if it wasn&#x27;t addressed.)</p><p>Graf said Bolabog Beach, which lies opposite Boracay&#x27;s more famous White Beach, has borne the brunt of the wastewater pollution.</p><p>The Tourism Department last Friday said around 200 commercial establishments face closure amid the government&#x27;s drive to contain the contamination of the island&#x27;s waters.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/business/02/16/18/save-boracay-200-commercial-establishments-face-closure">Save Boracay: 200 commercial establishments face closure</a></li></ul><p>Graf said that a study need may be needed to determine the number of tourists or establishments that the island can accommodate.</p><p>&quot;Ang ating carrying capacity, walang makapagsabi kung sobra na. Pero yung nakikita natin, siguro nga sobra na,&quot; she said referring to island&#x27;s development.</p><p>(No study has been made about our carrying capacity, no one can say if it&#x27;s been exceeded. But from what we see, maybe it&#x27;s already too much.)</p><p>President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to &quot;close&quot; Boracay if the island&#x27;s wastewater problem was not fixed within 6 months.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/10/18/duterte-slams-boracay-as-cesspool-threatens-to-shut-down-island">Duterte slams Boracay as ‘cesspool,’ threatens to shut down island</a></li></ul><p>Workers and vendors in Boracay meanwhile fear that they might be the first to suffer the brunt of mandatory closures in the cleanup effort.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/business/02/17/18/boracay-tenants-fear-mass-expulsion-looming-business-closures">Boracay tenants fear mass expulsion, looming business closures</a></li></ul><p>Boracay attracts more than 2 million tourists a year and brings in P56 billion pesos in annual revenues, the department and industry sources said.</p>

<p>The unfinished drainage system of Boracay island is one of the main reasons for the worsening pollution of the tourist destination's waters, a foundation working to protect the island said Sunday.</p>

The unfinished drainage system of Boracay island is one of the main reasons for the worsening pollution of the tourist destination's waters, a foundation working to protect the island said Sunday.