Manila: Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said Boracay is poised to reopen after nearly six months closure as government announced that its beach waters are now safe for recreational activity.
“The waters are now fit to dive in and for other water sports,” Cimatu said on Monday, reports reaching Manila said.
The Central Philippines resort island had undergone a major makeover since its temporary closure last April. The six-months shutdown was necessary to make its world famous beaches and facilities environmentally compliant.
It can be recalled that President Rodrigo Duterte, last April, ordered the Environment Department to temporarily close down the resort island after it had been observed that it was suffering from unchecked development. Commercial activity in the island also came at a cost to the aboriginal inhabitants of the islands, the Agta, as they latter are forced to live further away from their native lands.
On Monday, Cimatu presided in an event where he announced that locals can now take a swim in Boracay’s cool, clear waters without fear of getting sick.
During the ceremonial reopening of the island resort, dozens of local residents and visitors rushed to the waters at the beach.
A footage aired by GMA News said that based on the water quality test performed, coliform levels are down substantially from April.
The presence of coliform in the water indicates contamination by bacteria found in human waste.
Part of the reforms undertaken in Boracay was to improve water quality by improving solid waste management in the entire island and improving the area’s biodiversity.
Earlier, Duterte described Boracay as a virtual “cesspool” due to its unclean waters. He also ordered the demolition of structures that pollute and contribute to the destruction of the island’s ecosystem.
Cimatu said with the present improvements undertaken in the island, Boracay is all set for its October 26 reopening to tourists.
The closure of establishments in the islands had caused massive economic dislocation for locals as well as migrants from other parts of the country who rely on Boracay for their livelihood. Thousands were left jobless.
In its heyday, Boracay used to bring in billions of pesos in revenues to the government every year. Duterte had said that the government is willing to forego these earnings to ensure practices undertaken in the island do not lead to its destruction.
Regional Tourism Director Helen Catalbas said they aim to improve the image of Boracay from a hedonists’ haven where there are all-night parties into a “family oriented” destination
Before, the image of Boracay was that of a party place. “I suppose, there will still be parties, but not as spectacular as before,” she said.
In 2017, foreign tourist arrivals to the island reached 6,620,908 in total and in the first half 2018, 3.706 million international arrivals was recorded.
