Tourists enjoy their times on Boracay (Photo: AFP/VNA) Manila (VNA) - The Philippines closed down itsfamous holiday island Boracay to tourists on April 26 for a six-month shake-up.
Regional police head Cesar Binag said the shutdown began pastmidnight, with tourists barred from boarding the ferries - the main way to theisland.
About 600 policemen, including anti-riot officers, weredeployed. During the closure, only residents with ID cards are allowed to boardthe ferries to the island, whose population is around 40,000.
On the morning of April 26, police began patrolling thelocal beach to ensure no oneswimming outside the only onedesignated area marked by buoys. Boats are barred from sailing within threekilometres of the shoreline and only Boracay residents are allowed to fish inits waters.
The government said the security presence was intended tocontrol any risks of public disorder that might arise from the shutdown.
President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the shutdown this monthafter noticing the resort island was plagued by tourism-related businessesdumping raw sewage directly into the ocean.The environment ministry has issueda notice of violation to businesses discharging sewage and ordered thedestruction of more than 900 illegal structures in forest and wetlands.
It is estimated the island attracts up to 2 million visitorseach year and contributes 20 percent of the country’s tourism revenue. Theclosure of the island will make around 17,000 local resort workers jobless.-VNA
VNA
