As a follow-through of the rehabilitation partnership, Manila Water Foundation (MWF), Globe Telecom, and Boracay Island Water Company (BIWC) inaugurated the communal septic tank in Sitio Ilaya, Barangay Balabag in Boracay, in support of BIWC’s program, ‘Amot-Amot sa Malimpyong Boracay’ or ‘Toka-Toka sa Malinis na Boracay.’
The communal septic tank for the 15 households is targeted to ensure proper septage containment for the community, and to contribute to the improvement of Boracay Island's sanitation situation. "We are grateful to Globe Telecom and Manila Water Foundation for sponsoring this septic tank," Ruffa Gayllan, resident of Sitio Ilaya who expressed gratitude in behalf of the community.
Meanwhile, Municipal Health Officer Dr. Marianey Mocho encouraged the community to use the donated septic tank wisely. "It is a requirement to have a closed septic tank. They [partners] started it, we--on the other hand--should sustain it. It's our turn to be responsible and manage our waste properly. Let us utilize this to ensure Boracay's cleanliness," she said in local dialect.
BIWC General Manager Mike Santos set the expectations of the community. "Wastewater from the septage tank will be brought to BIWC’s sewer treatment plant. From time to time, a truck will be coming here for desludging," he shared. "We are glad that this project will serve as a good blessing to this community. Moreover, this is just the beginning of more blessings to come for our beloved Boracay Island," he said in Filipino.
Last June, MWF, Globe and BIWC signed a Memorandum of Agreement for the construction of a communal septic tank in Sitio Ilaya, Barangay Balabag, as part of the partnership’s P1.3 million rehabilitation projects for the island. The core of the partnership is to aid the government in the rehabilitation of the island by agreeing on a long-term conservation program to address untreated sewage that prompts pollution on its water bodies.