Top 10 eco-waste models in Boracay lauded

THE “2006 Boracay WOW Awards: Search for the Most Outstanding Business Establishment Waste Management System” recently concluded its five-month search for the top 10 eco-waste model establishment.

They were awarded recently at the Malay Municipal Action Center in Boracay with 33 participants vying for the top three slots in this first of its kind competition focusing on waste management principles.

The top 10 finalists are: Boracay Gold Crowne Resort, D’Mall D’ Boracay, Fairways & Bluewater & Country Club, Friday’s Boracay, Jony’s Beach Resort, Mandala Spa & Villa, Patio Pacific Boracay, Red Coconut Beach Resort, SPR Real Estate, and Seawind Beach Resort.

The top three winners received specially designed trophies made from recycled materials by students from various competing schools in Boracay as well as cash prizes.

Mandala Spa & Villas was awarded first prize as the Most Outstanding Business Establishment Waste Management System.

Second place went to Patio Pacific Resort while third place winner was Friday’s Boracay.

All winners also received plaques and citations from Malay Mayor Ceciron S. Cawaling and from the Boracay Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (BCCI) president Charles Y. Uy.

The island-wide search WOW (War on Waste) Awards was evaluated by jurors composed of representatives from the Malay Municipal Office, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Eminent Persons Group (EPG). All participants went through two rounds of surprise inspection trips conducted from July to November 2006.

Business establishments were evaluated on the following criteria: extent of information and education campaign on waste segregation among employees and guests; existence of policies; presence of segregation and collection system being practiced in the resort; and the existence of eco-shed, composting and recycling schemes. Evaluators also gave extra credit for establishments that observe exemplary waste reduction practices.

The search aims to help Boracay achieve and comply with the provisions of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. RA 9003 mandates segregation of waste at source and requires each barangay or cluster of barangays to set up a Material Recovery Facility (MRF).

The same law also mandates local governments to collect residual wastes. Full implementation of the law is essential to keep Boracay Island as the key tourist destination in the country.

The 2006 Boracay WOW Awards is one of the activities under the "Boracay Ecological Education Campaign and Material Recovery Facility Project" and highlights this two-year project implemented by the BCCI in partnership with Private Enterprise Accelerated Resource Linkages Phase II (PEARL2) and Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in coordination with the Malay municipal government and the DENR. The 2006 WOW Awards aims to reward establishments in the island for best practices in waste management that would support the sustainability of tourism development in the island.