With Boracay, one of the best tourism destinations in the country, in danger of ending up a paradise lost if water contamination continues, Senator Dick Gordon said a massive clean-up drive of the island is definitely in order.
Gordon seconded President Rodrigo Duterte’s recent threat to shut down Boracay, which attracts more than 2 million tourists a year and brings in P56-billion in annual revenues, in order to completely rehabilitate its shores.
This drastic move may be necessary for the island to maintain its pristine white sands and crystal clear waters.
The veteran legislator said this drastic move may be necessary for the island to maintain its pristine white sands and crystal clear waters, which it has become globally known for.
“Boracay is overloaded, it is beyond capacity. It’s a mess. Sala-salabat ang nandiyan. They have to help themselves. It’s time Boracay is reinvented. It’s time—since this is a national asset even if it’s under provincial control—that it is protected,” the seasoned lawmaker said.
The senator from Olongapo and Zambales added that aside from carrying capacity, enforcement and compliance of establishments to the sewerage line has been haphazard due to changing local leaders.
Gordon, who is a former Secretary of the Department of Tourism (DOT), said Boracay should be strengthened in its capability to control rapacious developments.
He called on the current DOT leadership to prepare a plan and a timeline for Boracay’s rehabilitation and also pointed out the need for a capacity survey on all beaches in the country so they won’t end up contaminated.
“Dapat malaman kung ilan ang dapat na dami ng papasok na tao. How many hotels can it handle? All our beaches should have a capacity survey to ensure that they are maintained properly,” he said.
After conducting inspection, the DOT reported that of the 150 Boracay business establishments recently inspected by the government, only 25 were connected to the sewage line and a number of establishments drained their sewage directly into the sea.
