By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo / Special to the BusinessMirror
THE interagency task force on Boracay will be recommending the declaration of a state of calamity for six months, and a closure of the popular resort island starting on April 26.
This was revealed by Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu and other members of the task force during a news briefing at the Department of Tourism (DOT) on Thursday afternoon. “[For] public health, public interest and general welfare, I recommend to the President the closure of Boracay Island as a tourist destination for a maximum of one year, effective one month after the declaration,” he said in a prepared statement. He added this period of closure will give the national government “ample time for the undisrupted implementation” of several measures that will help restore and sustain the island as a major destination.
Cimatu said the water in Bulabog Beach, where kitesurfing and other water activities are held, was too contaminated and the job of constructing the needed sewerage system so massive that there was a need to close down the island as soon as possible. The most recent tests of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), he said, showed “consistent failure, with an average result of 18,000 MPN [most probable number of coliform] per 100 milliliter [ML], exceeding the standard level of 400 MPN/100ML.”
Officer in Charge of the Interior and Local Government Eduardo M. Año told the BusinessMirror that his agency had already sent the necessary documents to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) for the agency to be able to recommend to President Duterte the declaration of a state of calamity.
“They [NDRRMC] will have to make the recommendation to the President, but we already sent them the documents and our recommendation for the declaration,” he said, adding that this will cover a period of “six months. That is the time frame given by the President [for us to fix Boracay].”
During the news briefing, Año said the task force will make its recommendations to Duterte during a Cabinet Cluster meeting on March 19. “These will still be for the President’s approval,” he stressed.
He noted that demolition orders have already been issued by the local government of Malay to several establishments, and pointed out that, “in fact, Boracay West Cove Resort was closed yesterday.” He said the resort “should have been closed in 2011,” as it didn’t have a business permit to operate and no longer had a forest land agreement for tourism purposes with the DENR.
Separate sources said DOT officials were “shocked” that Cimatu is recommending a one-year closure of the island, popular for its powdery, white-sand beach. A ranking DOT official projected a dive in tourist arrivals this year if the closure of Boracay will last longer than two months. So, “we are standing pat on our recommendation for a two-month closure,”
the DOT official said. Under the National Tourism Development Plan, the Duterte administration is targeting visitor arrivals to hit 7.5 million in 2018, up 13.6 percent from last year’s arrivals. The same official added that Cimatu appeared “flexible” on the length of the closure period.
Other DOT officials intimated that the agency’s recommendation is to close Boracay starting April 26, which would effectively cancel events during the May 1 holiday break dubbed “Laboracay.” Several events and parties had already been lined up by resorts, with major sponsors finalizing their support to the popular event, which has been compared to the annual spring break revelry of American students. (See, “Despite controversies, ‘Laboracay’ is still a go…so far,” in the BusinessMirror, March 14, 2018.)
“Laboracay will just dirty the beach again, after we all tried to keep it clean, and to rehabilitate the island,” one DOT insider said. Earlier, the DOT had proposed the closure of the island for two months during the monsoon season, when tourism arrivals are low. But the insider said, “They’re saying there’s no peak or low season anymore in Boracay,” so agency officials felt it was better to close the island as soon as possible to give way to its immediate rehabilitation.
For her part, Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon T. Teo said her agency has already discussed with all airlines to reduce their flights to Aklan and “not charge rebooking and cancellation fees of passengers” whose flights will be
affected. She asked the airlines “to divert their flights to other destinations so the other destinations can be promoted.”
Sources said the DOT has yet to get the hotels and resorts to agree not to charge their clients who may be affected by the closure any cancellation fees.
In making his recommendation to close Boracay Island, Cimatu said, “The problem of sewage and drainage will persist even though the BIWC [Boracay Island Water Co.] promised to do something to solve the problem in one month or by April 5, 2018. The exponential rise in tourist arrivals and the inadequate sewer capacity and the old sewer lines will further aggravate the situation when the 195 unconnected establishments issued notices of violation get connected to the sewer lines.”
He added the DENR has already “identified 973 illegal structures within forestlands and wetlands and 102 within easement areas. While a few have offered to do voluntary demolition, most are still for removal.”
Among the measures to restore Boracay Island as a key tourist destination, the DENR said the sewerage system will be upgraded; solid-waste management facilities and mechanisms will be installed; illegal structures in forestlands and wetlands, easement areas and sinkholes will be removed; roads widened and constructed, pipes laid and ground excavated; and transportation system rationalized.
Cimatu was authorized by Duterte to decide on the fate of Boracay.
Cimatu earlier told reporters after a Senate hearing on the island he couldn’t recommend Boracay’s closure just yet until the sewage problem and other issues are addressed. (See, “Decision day: To close or not to close Boracay,” in the BusinessMirror, March 5, 2018.) But lawyer Jonas R. Leones, Cimatu’s designated spokesman, told the BusinessMirror that, when push comes to shove, Cimatu “might change his mind.”
“If they will not cooperate, well, the secretary might eventually recommend closure,” Leones earlier said.
14 comments
And again some “officials” dispute that the duration is too long and worried that it will have an impact on tourism (..meaning MONEY). What does it need to open the eyes of some small minded people to realize nature can not be dealt with?
A closure of Boracay might have an immediate impact on Tourism, but it will be beneficial in the long run. It certainly will send a message to the international community that the Philippines are serious about environmental concerns. Controlling and reducing the wild grows of tourism and its impact has more long term benefits than a short term gain and money in the pockets of some scrupulous officials and business peopel in for a quick buck disregarding the impact.
Leaves the hope that Boracay is only the begging.
Out of 101M people of the Phils you are one of the 10M Pinoys who talk with sense.
thank you
Tourist agencies will surely discover alternate and better locations than Boracay to take their tour groups. The opening of Northern Cagayan International Airport this month to commercial flights from China and Korea is an example of tourism expansion.
I fear a lot of FIT tourists will suffer financial losses as the airline and hotels cannot agree to negotiations for refunds or allowing cancellation fees to be waived.
Boracay’s reputation will be forever tarnished due to greed and corruption.
Greed and corruption it is!
good
Thousands of Jobs are at risk losing.., I dont think they can absorb even half of them in construction work there.
The future of Boracay is more important than the jobs that will be affected. Blame it to corrupt officials who capitalized on the boom of Boracay.
Close all violators and fine them.., let others continue to work and do business.
Now they’re burning the house.Not a well thought plan for the best and brightest. Kuno???
It seems your an expert. Give your suggestion and not your opinion.
i agree. for so many years, local officials did nothing to make sure laws were enforced, cleanliness guaranteed etc etc etc.
Kung walang underground piping system to connect sa STP, magpadala ng tanker na sisipsip sa pozo negro at ipdaal sa STP.Hayaan ang mga estbalishment gumastos.Gumawa sila ng katarantaduhan magdusa sila.
Don’t forget it was the DOT who is responsible for the terrible drainage system that the island has. Now the DOT wants to close the island to “clean it up”. Clean up their own mess but hurting the many small businesses that were part of the success of Boracay!
Boracay can be cleaned without closure, that’s for sure. Problems can be solved without causing such bad publicity. The DOT should be promoting it’s assets. The seem to be doing the opposite though.
Masyadong obvious ang MO ng gobyerno natin.
Anti-drug campaign: kill small dealers and users but protect drug lords and crony drug rings.
Boracay initiative: Kill small businesses but build large Chinese casino.
Anti-corruption daw? Walang mangungurakot! Kami lang pwede!