Philippines closes popular Boracay beach resort under tight security for clean-up

The Philippines shuttered its most famous holiday island Boracay to tourists on Thursday for a six-month clean-up, which the government has imposed with a muscular show of its security forces.

Coast guard boats were on patrol and assault rifle-wielding police were posted at entry points to the once-pristine island that has become tainted by heavy commercialization and overdevelopment.

Regional police head Cesar Binag told AFP the shutdown began past midnight, with tourists barred from boarding the ferry that is the main way onto the island.

“Boracay is officially closed to tourists. We are not closing establishments but tourists cannot enter. We are implementing the instruction of the president,” Binag said.

About 600 policemen were deployed, with some performing life-like drills including riot officers battling bottle-hurling protesters and mock hostage taking of sunbathers – all before startled locals.

“My nephews and nieces were afraid,” Filipino tourist Tara Calcetas told AFP. “It was scary because there were people swimming yesterday (at the beach) and the police were firing guns as if there was a criminal here.”

The government conceded on Thursday there was no real threat, with interior ministry assistant secretary Epimaco Densing telling AFP the security presence was “just part of preparing for the worst.”

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the shutdown this month after calling the resort a “cesspool,” dirtied by tourism-related businesses flushing their raw sewage directly into the ocean.

During the closure, only residents with ID cards are allowed to board ferries to Boracay, which is home to around 40,000 people.

People on the so-called “party island” held a final bash on the beachfront on the eve of the closure, complete with a fireworks display and cheers of “Bye, Bye Boracay.”

But on Thursday, residents had the swaying palms, turquoise waters and usually mobbed white-sand beaches mostly to themselves. “This is what you call an island, a paradise. Boracay looks like its original beautiful self,” said restaurant cook John Reymar.