Boracay: The Paradise We Deserve

Attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists annually, Boracay has long held the distinction of being one of the best travel destinations in the world. Its beauty has helped the island garner numerous awards including being ranked as the best island in the world by international magazines Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler. That’s why it came as a shock to almost everyone that this paradise of powder-white sand and picture-perfect sunsets has been hit with a six-month closure order stemming from improper waste disposal due to poor sewage systems.

What really happened?

Boracay the cesspool

Branding Boracay a “cesspool” during a February 2018 business summit, President Rodrigo Duterte announced the closure of the island to tourists effective April 26 after findings revealed that certain prominent hotels and tourist establishments flushed out their waste using pipes placed underneath the beachfront. The mismanagement in waste disposal resulted in a spike in coliform levels endangering not only the people on the island, but the island itself.

As expected, the closure was not well-received, with majority of the populace wondering why it would take half a year to close down and rehabilitate the island. Of course, the timetable is not without reason. The six-month closure was recommended by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Tourism (DOT) and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to give them enough time to assess the damage and study the island’s carrying capacity for re-opening, including the maximum number of structures that the government will allow to be built on the island. The study will also help them determine parts of the island that will be preserved and those that can be used for development.

Looking out for the locals

Despite ordering all business establishments to cease operations during the six-month closure, the government did not go into this rehabilitation plan unprepared. Through the government’s Boracay Emergency Employment Program (BEEP), workers affected by the island’s temporary closure are granted monthly financial aid amounting to P4,205.50. Access to various job opportunities through proper job matching and referral are also available based on employee qualifications.

Businesses will also be allowed to return to the island but only if they adhere to the government’s proposed land reform program and make the island’s residents a priority. According to President Duterte, only a certain portion of the island will be opened to building infrastructures while the rest will be handed to the locals to give them the opportunity of owning land. Should it push through, more than 40 percent of the island can be distributed among the local residents.

Will six months be enough?

Despite the promise of a six months rehabilitation period, the government has made it clear that it will not think twice about extending this should they find no improvement in the island’s coliform level. According to Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, the stabilization of the island’s coliform level is vital before reopening Boracay to tourists. Reports they’ve recently gathered indicate that the current level goes above the standard of 400 MPN per 100 ml.

Add to the fact that the government just recently discovered a total of 33 underground pipes pointed toward the beachfront – with three of those confirming to be illegally disposing waste water under the White Beach – it won’t be surprising if we see Boracay’s rehabilitation go beyond the expected six-month timeframe.

Is this the Boracay we deserve?

For as long as most of us can remember, everybody painted Boracay as a paradise worth visiting, and for all the right reasons. However, its very same stellar reputation left us blind to people who wanted to make a profit at the expense of the island. By the time everyone realized what was happening, things had gone too far and too deep that we only had one option left – to close one of the most successful tourist destinations not just in the country but in the world. No one wanted this, but we got what we deserved.

Nonetheless, just because we took a step backwards, it doesn’t mean we can’t take two steps forward. With the government now undertaking a serious effort in cleaning up the island, from ensuring proper waste disposal to segregating and conserving parts of the island through land reform, to mitigating tourist impact at a sustainable level, the promise of a better Boracay awaits.

One thing’s for sure, we will again get what we deserve.