BORACAY ISLAND - A pipe that was discharging foul-smelling liquid on the beach was built by villagers as part of a drainage system, a local official who approved the project said Wednesday.

Residents of Sitio Manggayad chipped in to build the pipe, which was meant to funnel rainwater from the streets to White Beach, said Balabag barangay chairperson Lilibeth Sacapaño.

"Noon kasi walang drainage diyan so nagbabaha sa kanila. Nagpaalam sila sa akin na maglagay ng tubo para hindi sila bahain so sabi ko sige kaya nag-ambag-ambag sila para mailagay ‘yun," Barangay Balabag Chairwoman Lilibeth Sacapaño told ABS-CBN News.

(There was no drainage there before so the area was prone to flooding. When residents asked me if they could put a pipe to reduce flooding in the area, I said go ahead that’s why they chipped in.)

• Foul-smelling liquid flows from pipe on Boracay beach

Sacapaño said she told residents that she would have the pipe removed after it was found that it was discharging dirty water. The monitoring of the pipe was left to the barangay kagawad and other village officials, she said.

"Waste water ‘yang lumalabas diyan kasi napakabaho ang amoy. Kung para sa rainwater at flooding lang talaga ‘yan, bakit may lumalabas pa rin kahit ang init-init at hindi naman umuulan?” said Richard Fabila, officer in charge of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Boracay.

(Waste water is being discharged from that pipe because it has a foul smell. If that pipe is really for rainwater and flooding, why is it discharging water even when it’s not raining?)

Residents reported to a government hotline that at least 3 pipes have been discharging waste water from households and commercial establishments into the beaches of the 4-kilometer stretch of White Beach.

"Ire-recommend ko sa DENR national na bungkalin buong White Beach para mahanap ‘yang nga pipe na ‘yan," Fabila said.

(I will recommend to the DENR National to excavate the entire White Beach to locate those pipes.)