Boracay Goes ELECTRIC?

[Rick St John]

A municipal ordinance in Boracay is proposed to permanently solve the aggravating problems over air and noise pollution in the white-sand island. A town councilor, Wilbec Gelito, is sponsoring the ordinance to enforce and require shifting from traditional gasoline-engine vehicles into modern electric vehicle types. Through this, multi-cabs and tricycles will eventually be phased out in the tourist island.

Why shift to electric vehicles? First, electric-powered transports will comparatively be more efficient and environmentally friendly than their conventional counterparts. Charging an electric jeepney or tricycle for instance for a period of up to eight hours can enable the vehicles to run for up to 120 kilometers, enough to last a few days running across the 1,006-hectare Boracay island all day. In monetary terms, this will translate to about P400 pesos of savings that could be generated as additional income for drivers each day.

The only downside is that conversion into electric engines can be quite costly and buying electric vehicles can also require a significant investment, on the part of transport operators. The local and national government is yet to consider several measures to make the proposed initiative possible. Probably, subsidies to operators can be outlaid.

The rising popularity of Boracay as a main tourism destination has obviously contributed to the robust growth in the volume of vehicles in the island. From 553 registered public vehicles in 2004, the number jumped more than threefold to 1,861 transports in 2007. It is very apparent that the main roads across the island have really become congested.

Majority or 79% of those registered vehicles are comprised of tricycles, which are actually motorcycles built within bulky bodies to accommodate passengers. Tricycles basically use two-stroke engines that have been found and tested to create significant amounts of air-polluting particles called hydrocarbons.

Tests conducted by national government unit Department of Environment and Natural Resources found that total suspended particulate level as of October 22, 2007 in the three main villages in the island is still within standard levels, although there is a imminent possibility that the level will soon reach beyond standards. The noise produced by the tricycles made noise pollution level in Boracay unbearable and unhealthy, exceeding the standard value of about 50 decibels within residential centers and 60 decibels in areas alongside main roads, especially during the busy morning hour of 8am to 9am.

It is very clear that replacing conventional vehicles with the electric types will eradicate problems in smoke belching and noise. The proposed municipal ordinance is highlighted because many resort owners, residents and vacationers are hoping the effort will eventually be implemented successfully and help restore the natural and unadulterated state of the island. Boracay law implementers note that such electric vehicles have been proven viable when Makati City, in Metro Manila, last year successfully launched its own electric powered jeepneys.