Boracay Water hikes budget amid rehab

MANILA, Philippines — Boracay Island Water Co. Inc. may adjust its five-year capital budget to allow it to accelerate the construction of the Yapak sewage treatment plant as part of the rehabilitation efforts in the island.

“This year alone, we increased our budget to P700 million from P677 million and we have spent more or less 60 percent of that. We are trying to manage within the P2.4 billion, but we may add some more,” Boracay Water general manager and chief operating officer Joseph Michael Santos said in a briefing yesterday.

The Yapak STP is targeted for construction early next year and can be completed within the year as well with an estimated budget of P1.2 billion.

It will have a capacity of five million liters per day (MLD) and add to the existing 11.5 MLD combined capacity of the Balabag and Manoc Manoc STPs.

More than 80 percent of the capital budget  has been allotted for wastewater services in the island.

During the rehabilitation period, Boracay Water completed the diversion flow from both STPs to allow more establishments to connect to the sewer system.

The company has also started the upgrade and expansion of the sewer network along Balabag Main Road which will accommodate higher flows coming from the beach front area.

Boracay Water is accommodating more non-customers to connect to the sewer network.

It has so far plugged 36 pipes illegally connected to the drainage system and has built a temporary interceptor and diversion system that redirects drainage water to its STPs for proper treatment.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is expected to reopen the country’s tourist destination by Oct. 26.

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said water quality on the island’s White Beach is already improving based on the regular monitoring conducted by the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau.

The island was closed last April 26 following orders from President Duterte.