MANILA - Boracay island has started to regain its natural beauty following the dismantling of establishments within the easement zone and the disappearance of algae bloom due to improved water conditions, an official said Wednesday.

"Very exciting ho, imagine ninyo iyung beach natin wala na hong istraktura, talagang napakaganda," Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Assistant Secretary Epimaco Densing III told DZMM radio.

(It's very exciting, imagine the beach without structures. It's really beautiful.)

The best news from the Boracay inter-agency task force meeting held Tuesday was that the water quality on the island, which grapples with sewage problems, has improved, he said.

It has, however, yet to reach the standard level for swimming and recreation, the official added.

"Napakalinis ho pati tubig, wala na 'yung algae bloom, kasi 'yung pinanggagalingan ng untreated water na nangagaling sa illegal na pipes wala nang lumalabas," he added.

(It's very clean, the algae bloom is gone, because the source of the untreated water from the illegal pipes, there's no more coming out.)

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Local businessmen and some of the country's top conglomerates have also offered to help rehabilitate Boracay's wetlands, Densing said.

San Miguel Corp, Aboitiz Group, JG Summit and Lucio Tan's Boracay Tubi Systems Inc will "sponsor" wetlands that were obstructed by illegal commercial establishments, Densing said.

"Ang gagawin po ng DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) tatanggalin ang illegal structures, tapos papasok itong mga private sponsors para maglagay ng imprastraktura, gumagastos para maibalik sa dati ang mga wetlands," he said.

(The DENR will remove the illegal structures and then the private sponsors will come in to build infrastructure, they will fund the rehabilitation of the wetlands.)

The DENR is conducting a "carrying capacity" study to determine how many tourists could occupy the island at any given time, he said.

He also vouched for Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon's proposal to create a Boracay Development Authority to "professionally manage" the island instead of the local government.

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Boracay, a world-renowned beach destination, was shut down in April to give way to rehabilitation.

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