Boracay beach (Source: AFP) Hanoi (VNA) – The Philippines has decided to close its resort islandof Boracay to tourists for six months from April 26 to address sewage andenvironment-related problems.
Philippine President RodrigoDuterte ordered the shutdown to start on April 26, his spokesman Harry Roquesaid in an announcement on Twitter on April 4, without providing further details.
Earlier, EnvironmentUndersecretary Jonas Leones stated that a closure would mean airlines andferries’ suspension of their Boracay services and make the beaches off-limits.
There are around 17,000people working in 500 hotels in Boracay, apart from 11,000 construction workersworking on new projects.
The decision raises questionsabout the livelihoods of thousands employed as part of a bustling tourist tradethat serves some two million guests on the island each year.
The island has some 500tourism-related businesses, which had a combined annual revenue of 56 billionpesos (1.07 billion USD) last year.
However, in February, Duterteblasted the tiny island’s hotels, restaurants and other businesses, accusingthem of dumping sewage directly into the sea and turning it into a “cesspool”.
Officials have warned theisland’s drainage system is being used to send the untreated sewage into itssurrounding turquoise waters.
At least 300 hotels, resortsand inns have been ignoring an ordinance that requires them to build their ownsewage and wastewater treatment facilities. They have instead been dumpingwaste into canals meant only for rainwater and surface overflow.
Boracay, famous for itspowdery white sand and shallow azure water, was named the best island resort bymagazine publisher Conde Nast in 2016.
It was ranked second out of25 beaches in Asia and 24th in the world in TripAdvisor's 2018 Travellers'Choice Awards.-VNA
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