64% of Pinoys support Boracay closure – SWS

Three in five Filipino adults were in favor of the government’s move to close Boracay Island to tourists for a year for full rehabilitation, a recent survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

The survey, taken from March 23 to 27, found 64 percent of Filipinos who agreed with the closure of the entire island to tourists, while 20 percent disagreed, for a net agreement score of +44, classified by SWS as “very strong.” Seventeen percent of the re- spondents were undecided.

The survey was undertaken almost a month before the sixmonth closure of the worldrenowned beach destination, which started on April 26.

SWS said stronger support for the closure of Boracay was registered in Mindanao, urban areas and among those with higher education.

It was highest in Mindanao at an “extremely strong” +55 (68 percent agree, 13 percent disagree), followed by Metro

Manila at a very strong +49 (69 percent agree, 20 percent disagree), balance Luzon at a very strong +45 (64 percent agree, 20 percent disagree), and the Visayas at a moderately strong +26 (53 percent agree, 27 percent disagree).

Net agreement was an extremely strong +50 (68 percent agree, 18 percent disagree) in overall urban areas, compared to the very strong +38 (59 percent agree, 21 percent disagree) in overall rural areas.

Support for the closure of Boracay was stronger among those with higher educational attainment, the SWS said.

It was highest among college graduates at an extremely strong +54 (70 percent agree, 16 percent disagree), followed by high school graduates at an extremely strong +50 (69 percent agree, 18 percent disagree), non-elementary school graduates at a very strong +34 (55 percent agree, 20 percent disagree), and elementary school graduates at a very strong +33 (57 percent agree, 23 percent disagree).

Majorities in all areas say the closure of Boracay “would help rehabilitate the nature in the island” (64 percent) and “increase the number of tourists in the future” (61 percent).

The proportion of those who said the closure of Boracay would help rehabilitate nature in the island was highest in Metro Manila at 71 percent, followed by balance Luzon and Mindanao, both at 64 percent, and the Visayas at 61 percent.

On the other hand, the percentage of those who said the Boracay closure would help increase the number of tourists in the future was highest in Metro Manila at 68 percent, followed by Mindanao at 61 percent, Visayas at 60 percent, and balance Luzon at 58 percent.

The survey used face-toface interviews of 1,200 adults, 18 years old and above, nationwide. President Duterte ordered the closure of Boracay for six months so establishments may improve sewerage systems and remove illegal structures.

An inter-agency task force in charge of Boracay’s rehabilitation had recommended that the island be closed for a maximum of one year.

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu earlier said the rehabilitation effort at the island resort was “50 to 60 percent” complete.