Boracay Newcoast sets environment initiatives

(The Philippine Star) Updated June 08, 2012 12:00 AM Comments (0)

Even as Boracay Newcoast will host five hotels and welcome thousands of tourists annually, the environment will be preserved partly through its own sewage treatment plant and other environment initiatives. | Zoom

Manila, Philippines -  With hundreds of thousands of tourists flocking to the various hotels on offer at Boracay Island year-round and their activities undoubtedly having a long-term impact, actions must be taken to preserve the island’s pristine environment for the enjoyment of more tourists in the future.
This is why the company behind Boracay Newcoast, a new tourism estate along the island’s eastern side, has decided to set the bar for stewardship by instituting key environment-friendly features.
“Boracay Newcoast sets the bar high with our action plans that promote stewardship of this beautiful island and its preservation,” announced Edgardo Pinga, vice president for Project Development at Global-Estate Resorts Inc. (GERI).
Sewage is a primary concern, so Boracay Newcoast operates its own sewage and treatment plant or STP. Not only is the effluent prevented from simply being discharged into the sea, the sewage treatment also benefits Fairways and Bluewater Resort and Country Club, which hosts the island’s only golf course, in two ways. First, sludge has become the main source of organic fertilizer for the golf club’s greens and trees. Second, the recycled water is used for irrigation of the fairways, thus lessening the estate’s dependence of fresh water supply from the main island of Panay.
Another environment-friendly feature is the estate’s storm drain facility, which collects rainwater for irrigation. The facility releases excess water into the sea when needed. Water tanks are located in key elevated areas, thus preventing the reverse flow of water during high tide and keeping the views of Boracay Newcoast’s private beach coves pristine.
Other environment-friendly features of Boracay Newcoast include solar-powered street lamps, electric-powered jeepneys and a materials recovery facility to separate recyclable matter from other waste.
Since Boracay Newcoast covers 14% of the entire island, it hosts thousands of trees. Thus, GERI is doing its best to preserve old-growth trees and integrate these natural features into the project’s design. The estate’s lush foliage includes a majestic banyan tree guarding a private beach.
“We initiated a meeting with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to ensure that none of the trees is on the endangered species list. After they’ve taken an inventory of our tree cover, we will perform tree planting and preservation exercises based on their recommendations,” Pinga assured.
With these action plans in place, investors and future residents of Boracay Newcoast will take comfort in the knowledge that they will become part of a growing community that injects and practices environmental aspects into tourism.
The island’s first and only integrated tourism estate has been master planned to include a residential subdivision, Boracay Newcoast Village, a shophouse district, an area set aside for boutique hotels, five hotels and a vibrant entertainment center at Newcoast Station, among others.
All components of Boracay Newcoast will be designed in an environment-friendly manner, Pinga vowed, thus giving a holistic approach to the tourism estate’s environmental stewardship agenda.
For more information on Boracay Newcoast, please call Megaworld Global-Estate at 904-5580. Or check out www.global-estate.ph.