PH government gets ready for Boracay closure, administration stands by approved casino construction

Photo by Mark Saludes of ABS-CBN News.
Photo by Mark Saludes of ABS-CBN News.

Yesterday, several government departments decided it would propose a 6-month closure for Boracay. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who himself threatened to close the popular resort island and called it a “cesspool,” will likely approve the proposal to be sent to him today.

The decision to close Boracay for up to six months was agreed on by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of Interior and Local Government, and the Department of Tourism (DOT).

According to a DOT representative, the departments also met with Florencio Miraflores, governor of Aklan, where Boracay is located.

While many agree that Boracay needs a major clean up, those working on the island are concerned about how this would affect their livelihood. In a report by CNN Philippines, Tourism Congress of the Philippines President Jojo Clemente said yesterday that 36,000 people may lose their jobs because of the closure.

Being a resort town, people living and working in Boracay depend on tourists to keep their businesses afloat. This includes hotel and restaurant staff, boatmen that bring visitors to the island from the airport, and water sports instructors.

Should the closure be approved, foreign and Filipino tourists will be prohibited from visiting Boracay starting April 26. This will significantly lessen the close to 2 million tourists the island welcomes every year.

But some are questioning the government’s motivations for closing the island, especially because it stands by its decision to allow a casino resort to be built there.

Yesterday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the reason Duterte ordered Boracay’s rehabilitation is its problematic sewerage system that brings wastewater to the sea, and that an establishment like the casino project will surely have a proper sewerage system in place.

“An establishment as big as this casino will probably be required to have not just an STP (sewage treatment plant) but a water recycling treatment facility,” Roque said.

The casino resort has a construction budget of US$500 million and is a partnership between Macau casino giant Galaxy Entertainment and the Filipino company Leisure and Resorts World Corp (LRWC).

LRWC is a gaming company founded by Alfredo Benitez, who is currently a congressperson for Negros Occidental and a Duterte supporter.

Roque’s reasoning also fails to address the environmental effects a surge in tourists will bring like the number of plastic bottles they will use and electricity they will consume.

The sewerage system is not the only problem Boracay needs to deal with. It also has a problem with overdevelopment and has become increasingly congested over the years.

Last month, DoubleDragon Properties announced that it will build the largest hotel in the Philippines with 1,001 rooms in Boracay. This comes after the same company opened Boracay’s first mall.

Despite its problems, Boracay is still famous all over the world for its white sand beach and blue waters. Just last year, it was voted “Best Island in the World” by readers of the magazine Condé Nast Traveler. 



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