The Philippines is thinking of shortening the closure period for its most popular holiday hotspot Boracay to four months from six. However, the country’s tourism minister said that the number of visitors allowed when it reopens will go down.Published on : Thursday, April 12, 2018
The Philippines is thinking of shortening the closure period for its most popular holiday hotspot Boracay to four months from six. However, the country’s tourism minister said that the number of visitors allowed when it reopens will go down.
President Rodrigo Duterte said that Boracay has turned into a “cesspool”, and so, a masterplan to restore Boracay into a liveable and greener community will be finalized after its rehabilitation, according toTourism Secretary Wanda Teo.
Teo said, “I think we can do it (cleanup) in four months. That’s why we wanted it (to be) total closure, for us to do it fast.” Boracay, which will be closed to local and foreign tourists from April 26, now joins the list of other beach resorts across Southeast Asia facing growing pressure due to a surge in visitors.
The rehabilitation of Boracay involves the demolition of more than 900 illegal structures, improvement of waste management and expansion of drainage and sewage systems.
Boracay is popular for its sugary white sand and lively night scene, but some 195 businesses there were found to be discharging untreated waste water into the sea, resulting in increased concentration of human faeces along the beaches.
The island generates 90 to 115 tonnes of trash every day, of which only 30 tonnes are shipped out regularly to a landfill on a nearby island, Teo said.
Tags: philippines tourism