DOT's comprehensive infra program to provide water to tourist destinations

CEBU, Philippines - As part of its efforts to provide efficient infrastructure support to top tourism destinations in the country, the Department of Tourism is running a comprehensive infrastructure program in Boracay Island and other island destinations.

Boracay Island, the country’s pride and premier tourist destination, is undergoing a much-needed makeover, with the ongoing comprehensive infrastructure program that will provide ample supply of water to the area.

According to Tourism secretary Joseph Ace Durano the increased water efficiency will make a significant difference to the island, ensuring the availability of safe, potable water, and addressing the concern of water pollution, a concern in Boracay for sometime now.

The project is spearheaded by the Boracay Island Water Company, Inc. (BIWC), a joint venture company between Manila Water Company, Inc. and the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA).

Established through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed in April last year, with Durano and Manila Water chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala as key witnesses, the JV company will develop and operate the existing Boracay Water Supply and Sewerage System (BWSS) in Malay, Aklan.

Durano said the public-private sector partnership can be likened to a ‘grand slam win’ noting the four key factors such as “support infrastructure as an integral component of sustainable tourism development, the elimination of the water and sewerage constraint, benefiting both existing and new investments in the island, protection and conservation of the natural beauty of Boracay, and the creation of new jobs for locals.

Malapascua grant

In Cebu, the DOT gave P1.7 million to Barangay Logon, Malapascua Island in the northern Cebu to implement a solid waste management program and sustain tourist arrivals in the island.

Durano said the Malapascua Island grant is part of the DOT’s vision to make Malapascua a wold class eco-tourism destination.

“It is in eco-tourism products that the Philippines can be competitive. To revive the European market, we pushed scuba diving and look where it led us? Despite the crisis, French and German arrivals are still up,” said Durano.

Malapascua island in Daanbantayan town, one of the country’s top diving destinations, has three marine protected areas which attract scuba divers worldwide. These are Monad Shoal, Gato Island and Lapus Lapus.

“Preserving the island’s ecological wealth is our foremost priority. Promoting the sought-after destination to travelers also entails guaranteeing that the island can provide safe water to the local community and to tourists,” said DOT undersecretary for tourism planning and promotions Eduardo Jarque Jr.

Support

Meanwhile, helping the government improve the poor infrastructure state in the country, two water resource technology and distribution providers started their nationwide venture to solve water scarcity especially in the islands with huge tourism potentials.

Mactan Rock Industries, Inc. and Pilipinas Water Resources Inc (PWRI) jointly ventured into water supply operations in the outskirts municipalities of Visayas and Mindanao, following the success of “Barangayan” water projects in Cebu.

Mactan Rock and PWRI chairman Antonio P. Tompar said the two companies will spend another P70 million in this nationwide project, initially providing community water supply facilities in El Nido (Palawan), Cabadbaran in Agusan del Norte, and Aracelli in Northern Palawan.

“These areas have huge commercial and tourism potentials. We are providing them with water supply tapping their water-bank resources, to bring water directly to the households,” said Tompar.

Mactan Rock and PWRI are Cebu-based companies, which primarily aim to provide ample and affordable water supply to barangays or towns which water system facilities are not property implemented. — Ehda M. Dagooc