The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said the environmental rehabilitation efforts in El Nido, Palawan, were ‘on track’ with its Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) recommendations.
Last July, the DILG urged the local government units of El Nido and Coron in Palawan; Siargao, Surigao del Norte; Panglao, Bohol; and Boracay, Aklan, to submit six-month rehabilitation plans for waste management, tourism development, and handling security and health-related issues.
‘The DILG commended the Municipality of El Nido for remaining on track with its comprehensive environmental rehabilitation program, closely aligning with the targets and recommendations set by the DENR,’ the DILG said in a statement on Friday.
The department particularly touted water infrastructure and solid waste management projects in El Nido, including nine communal septic tanks and a sanitary landfill for Barangay New Ibajay.
It further noted that 444 out of 894 commercial establishments in the municipality were now connected to the local sewage treatment plant, with 91 businesses pending application to be connected.
The DILG added that it issued 97 notices of violations for failing regular testing to ensure water quality as part of its rehabilitation measures. (By Janicca Bunao, INQUIRER.net intern)