Boracay’s renaissance

“BORACAY is a cesspool.” With these words, uttered in his hometown of Davao City in February 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte started the rehabilitation process of one of the most famous natural wonders and tourist attractions in the world. It was formally closed to tourist on April 26 to allow government, the private sector and all stakeholders to address Boracay’s many concerns including its sewerage problems and environmental degradation.

It was a difficult decision for the President but it was something that he knew should be done. A Social Weather Station survey in July showed that 64% of the Filipino people supported the decision. It was a decision that probably saved the future of the destination which many travel experts refer to as one of the finest in the world.

Six months after its closure, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has announced that Boracay will have its “soft opening” on October 16 with the full opening slated towards late 2019. DENR and Tourism officials explained that with the environmental fragility of the island, its reopening will be done gradually in three phases in order to ensure Boracay’s sustainability.

I am glad that the reopening of Boracay is not being rushed just to accommodate the influx of tourists. Hindi dapat biglain ang Boracay. This was precisely the problem before — the abuse of the island. A study conducted by experts from the DENREcosystems and Research Development Bureau (ERDB) and University of the Philippines-Los Baños uncovered that the capacity of Boracay Island has been breached leading to the “generation of too much waste and deterioration of water quality.”

The efforts of government to rehabilitate the island will be useless if the same mistakes will be tolerated. In addition to everything that has already been done, government needs to train, support, and hold accountable, local government units (LGUs) in terms of protecting natural resources such as Boracay Island. Balewala kung balik din sa dati ang gawi ng mga opisyal at turista.

I am encouraged by statements from tourism officials that they will strictly regulate activities on the island. Authorities and local residents should be empowered so they can be at the frontlines of protecting their jewel. Serious education campaigns should be given to both local and foreign tourists in order to foster sustainable tourism.

But I also hope that our experience in Boracay will allow us to look at our overall tourism and environmental policies and strategies. This effort to protect one of our precious gems should be used as a model to protect the other prime destinations in the Philippines. Government should seriously look at other tourist attractions and ensure that they will be enjoyed by future generations.

One place that come to mind is Baguio City. I think we need to have a serious discussion on how to rehabilitate the summer capital of the country to prevent it from rivaling Manila as the gridlock capital of the Philippines. During weekends and holidays, Baguio grinds into a virtual standstill.

It’s a shame really because the City of Pines is an affordable, accessible, and beautiful destination for Filipinos and foreigners. I have a lot of memories in Baguio and I am sure many Filipinos do too. It is a destination in need of a renaissance.

There are many other natural wonders and destinations in the country that needs rehabilitation like Boracay. I hope officials are taking note of the process currently unfolding in Boracay so that we can learn from our mistakes and correct them before it’s too late.