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Government efforts to make Boracay a sustainable ecotourism destination received a major boost with the donation of five units of solar-powered vehicles to be used for patrolling and rescue service within and around the world-famous resort island.

The vehicles—one patrol boat, three e-bikes and one ambulance—were donated by Star 8 Green Technology Corp. and Southwest Travel and Tours to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The donation was covered by a memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed by the two companies and the DENR, the lead agency in the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) that is in charge of Boracay’s rehabilitation.

BIATF chair and DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu thanked the two companies for their initiative as he promised the government will take care of the vehicles.

Cimatu said the donated vehicles would “not only help sustain enforcement and sustainability efforts, but also minimize air and noise pollution in Boracay.”

Star 8 chief executive officer Jacob Maimonsaid the vehicle donation is their “way of helping maintain a green environment in the island.”

Each e-bike has a speed of 100 kilometer per hour and a range of 150 kilometers prior to charging, while the ambulance has a maximum speed of 90 kph and a 120-km range.

The e-banca, on the other hand, has a speed of 5 knots and can run continuously for 8 hours before charging.

Southwest will provide operational and maintenance support services for the upkeep of the units for a period of two years from the date of the turnover. ###