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OPENING up Bantayan Island to commercialism may lead to the island?s degradation, according to an environment official.
?The population of Bantayan Island is steadily increasing. Eventually, there would be a problem with waste disposal,? said Edgar Ricafort, Protected Area Superintendent for the Bantayan Island Wilderness Area (BIWA).
?In my opinion, it would be better if the island is kept as a wilderness area,? he added.
Ricafort expressed concern over the issuances of Environmental Compliance Certificates (ECC) for a number of establishments, especially resorts that did not pass through his office.
?These include those whose ECCs have already been approved. If the applicants passed through Penro (Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office), I would have advised them that I would endorse their project to the PAMB (Protected Area Management Board) for deliberation,? said Ricafort.
?As of now, nobody has approached the PAMB through me. But many ECCs were approved as of May 18 (by the Environment Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas),? he said.
Resources on the island are still sufficient to provide for the needs of the residents, he said.
?For now, the island is not yet polluted. The population is still not high,? he said.
But things could change if more establishments are allowed to operate on the island, especially if their ECCs do not have the endorsement of the PAMB.
?Most of the ECCs that I endorsed to the PAMB are those submitted by poultry owners,? he added.
Ricafort said he has prepared reports of violations of environment laws committed by some resorts. The reports were submitted to Penro.
Rep. Benhur Salimbangon (Cebu, 4th district) has filed a bill proposing the establishment of the Bantayan Island Protected Landscape and Seascape.
Salimbangon assured that if the bill is enacted into law, there will be proper screening of investors and the environmental conditions of the island would be monitored.
?There is going to be protection for the environment so that we will not end up like Boracay, which has become polluted,? Salimbangon said.
Salimbangon?s bill aims to promote the Bantayan Group of Islands, which is composed of 20 islands and islets, as an eco-tourism zone.
The congressman said his proposal has already attracted high-end hotel investors such as operators of the Hilton and Waterfront hotels and resorts.
?They are interested, but because of the worldwide financial crisis, they said they will just wait and see first,? he added.
Salimbangon said that the bill is up for second reading as it has already been approved by the House of Representatives? tourism committee, committee on ways and means, and the environment department.
