The Department of Environment and Natural Resources on Sunday stood firm on its decision to require establishments in Aklan’s Boracay Island to put up sewerage treatment plants either individually or in clusters to ensure that all waste water would undergo appropriate treatment prior to their discharge into the sea. “The President described Boracay as a ‘cesspool.’ By that word alone, he meant that the waters around the island is of very poor quality,” DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu said. “And, indeed, it was. The concentration of e-coliform in the water samples that were put to test in the early part of our rehabilitation efforts were too high—millions of times beyond the standard,” he added.

Araja, R. N. (2018, August 27). Sewerage treatment a must for Boracay firms. Manila Standard, p. A5.