Making this island resort a water quality management area (WQMA) will ensure the protection of its coasts, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Section 5 of Republic Act 9275, or the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004, mandates the DENR and the National Water Resources Board to designate areas as WQMA using appropriate physiographic units such as watershed, river basins or water resources regions. If the plan pushes through, Boracay will be the fourth WQMA in Western Visayas, along with the Iloilo Batiano River System, the Tigum-Aganan Watershed and the Jalaur River.

Boracay eyed as water quality mgt area. (2018, May 15). Panay News, p. 13.