Philippines reopened 'paradise' after six-month cleanup...

So why isn't everyone in Boracay happy?

Shibani Mahtani and Kaela Malig

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Philippines hotel owner Leonard Tirol had watched his native island of Boracay prosper from tourism but also pay a price as crowds and unfettered development soiled their slice of paradise.

So he almost could not believe it when he heard that sea turtles - and even a baby shark - had returned this past month to waters close to the powdery white-sand shores.

"It is like the sea has become alive again," Tirol said.

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Boracay, experts predict, will become a test-case in whether increasingly crowded get-aways across the world can recover from decades of over-tourism and environmental damage.

That is what government planners in the Philippines had hoped for. They are in the midst of an unprecedented overhaul of the island - carting away tons of rubbish and upgrading old sewage and drainage systems - that closed one of the world's most famed beach destinations for six months.

READ MORE:
* Boracay Island reopens with bans on beach parties, plastic bags and smoking
* Boracay: Is the tourist paradise ready to reopen?
* The Philippines wants more tourists like Anthony Bourdain 
* Tourists enjoy final day at Boracay beach
* Philippines closes Boracay - holiday island turned 'cesspool'

The bold move has won some praise for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, more known for calling for killings of suspected drug dealers than as a champion of the environment.

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But experts wonder if the closure - which put 17,000 jobs on six-month contract and cost an estimated US$1 billion ($1.44b) in lost tourism revenue - has been anything more than a feel-good stopgap in a place that was packed with more than 2 million tourists last year.

Since it was reopened late October, travellers have started to return to the palm-fringed island, just three times the size of Manhattan's Central Park, in the centre of the Philippines archipelago.

But the return of vehicles and tour vans has complicated efforts to finish a new drainage and road network.

Meanwhile, businesses have lost millions and complain about some of the new restrictions, particularly on clubs and bars, imposed as Boracay tries to exchange its party-island reputation for something quieter and more eco-friendly. Some have simply packed up and left for other tourism hot spots across the country, moving the tourist strain to other small islands.

Boracay, experts predict, will become a test-case in whether increasingly crowded get-aways across the world, from Mallorca in Spain to Thailand's Similan Islands, can recover from decades of over-tourism and environmental damage.

The issue is increasingly urgent as tourism grows worldwide, fuelled in part by rising incomes in places such as China. 

"The question for governments is how do you decide when to reopen these places? And when you reopen them, do you have systems in place to make sure the recovery continues?" said Susanne Becken, director of the Griffith Institute of Tourism in Queensland, Australia, and an expert on sustainable tourism.

"If those systems are not in place, it will go back to what it was before," she added.

The push to turn Boracay around, officials say, was launched when Duterte saw videos of untreated waste and sewage being dumped into the open water. He insisted on sealing the island off totally, decrying it as a "cesspool," according to the accounts.

"He did it. Nobody comprehended that it could be done," said Jonas Leones, the undersecretary for policy and planning at the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources. "But because of the president's desire to rehabilitate the island, and to be an example to other tourists destinations, . . . he declared it closed."

Boracay reopened October 26 with a smaller number of hotels operating and limits on the number of tourists allowed to visit. New rules banned drinking and smoking on the beach, and even building sand castles.

But the island still has the look of a work in progress.

In mid-November, chaos reigned on the road leading from a ferry terminal, the access point for tourists, to a 4 kilometre strip of beach where most resorts and restaurants are located.

Road work has caused snaking, bumper-to-bumper traffic. A total overhaul of the sewage system means underground pipes are exposed. At an area near the shopping hub, D'Mall, there is the unmistakable smell of sewage.

But the white beach itself is pristine - and quiet. Noticeably absent is the blaring music from the bars and nightclubs that had transformed Boracay into a party spot in recent years.

"You hear that? It is the ocean. I can finally hear the ocean again," said Willy Berger, a French diving instructor who has been on the island for 21 years. "The pub crawls, the bars, that's not what we need here."

The island, residents and business owners say, was once a simple place, with an indigenous population happy to live off the natural vegetation, grow rice and travel the island largely on foot.

"It was paradise," said Triol, the hotel owner, who is president of the Boracay Foundation, an association for businesses. "There were no vehicles, not even motorcycles, and we just made it by walking from end to end."

Boracay started opening up to tourists in the 1970s, but most business operators say things really got out of hand in the early 2000s. The island landed on multiple "must visit" lists, and in 2012 was named by the travel review website TripAdvisor as the world's second-best beach, after a small island in the Turks and Caicos.

As hordes of tourists arrived, dozens of hotels cropped up, violating laws and local regulations by building structures too close to the beach, failing to install their own wastewater treatment tanks and connecting their sewage pipes illegally into the drainage system.

The waste - including kitchen water and cooking oil - was flowing out to Bulabog Beach, a popular spot for wind and kite-surfing. Business owners interviewed by The Washington Post brought up widespread corruption that kept this system running, allowing some to flout the rules and degrade the environment while making a tidy profit.

"It would seem that there was a failure of government on the part of the local government," said Leones, the Philippine environmental official.

More than 100 of these hotels remain closed, and some are facing legal action. Some will be demolished. The few that have casinos will have to wind down their gambling operations.

Strict procedures are now in place to ensure that operational hotels comply with local laws, have their own waste management systems and carefully track tourists who arrive. Before taking a short boat ride to Boracay's main jetty, all tourists entering the island must register with authorities, who will ensure that they are staying in an accredited hotel for a predetermined and specified number of days - limiting the number of backpackers, but also preventing well-heeled tourists from extending their vacations.

Authorities are also mulling limiting the number of tourist arrivals by putting a cap on the number of flights that arrive and the number of hotel rooms available.

Tourism authorities in the Philippines, meanwhile, are scoping out other hot spots, like El Nido, popular with divers, and Siargao, a famed destination among surfers, to see if they need to be similarly rehabilitated.

In El Nido, on the island of Palawan, they have found that lagoons are getting dirty and polluted and have warned businesses to abide by laws and get things under control.

"We don't want to close El Nido, just [have businesses] comply with the environmental laws," said Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, secretary of the Department of Tourism.

But experts say other regional examples offer a cautionary tale.

When Thailand closed Maya Bay, made popular by the Leonardo DiCaprio film "The Beach," tour operators just started moving elsewhere, bringing hundreds of new tourists to other islands.

"Dispersal isn't always a good idea, because you expose even more places to tourism," said Becken at the Griffith Institute of Tourism. "At the end of the day, you just can't have a billion or more tourists having an ecotourism experience."

Boracay Reborn

By Philippine Star

Another one of the country’s beautiful paradises, Siargao, was recently named “Best Island in Asia” by Conde Nast 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards. Though its popularity is sure to surge thanks to this lofty endorsement, one island remains to be a sentimental favorite – Boracay.

With its reopening, beach-goers and sun-worshippers are waiting with bated breath, curious about what’s in store in the new chapter of the island's life. 

Known for its glorious stretches of soft, baby-powder white sand and crisp, cool waters, with a night life that would rival the party scenes of Ibiza, Boracay has come to be known as a true island paradise. It’s a destination fit for everyone, for the children who frolic its beaches to the young singles ready to mingle, and the retirees who have found bliss sipping whisky or mojito by the seaside.  

But over time, with the rise of its popularity, Boracay — though still beautiful — had started to show signs of abuse. It was on April 26 when President Rodrigo Duterte ordered full closure of the island for its complete and immediate rehabilitation. 

Tasked to lead the preservation program is Mark Villar, secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), who mandated the demolition of structures that sit within the 30-meter easement from the shoreline.

He led the laying down of drainage pipes, sewerage systems and road widening projects to ease the traffic and congestion which had become a growing burden on tourists and locals. One of DPWH’s key rehabilitation works is the Circumferential Road, which has been built to be 12-meters wide, and is designed with proper bike lanes and sidewalks.

Villar worked closely with Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, secretary of Tourism and Roy Cimatu, secretary of Environment, to beat the “impossible” deadline. 

Recently, Romulo-Puyat shared with the media that upon Boracay’s reopening, the local government will strictly enforce existing ordinances and laws. In addition, to preserve the cleanliness and ease the flow of travelers, the government has limited the number of flights to Boracay, restricting daily tourist entrance to 6,405. 

Through the shared photos online, we’ve seen glimpses of the new Boracay, and it’s a stunning reflection. But is it the Boracay that the locals and tourists are still expecting? Here, we take a listen to what they have to say. 

Emer Ibabao, Sun Village Resort & Spa Boracay 

As someone who has worked on the island for years, I’ve seen the aches and challenges that many have had to go through. But it’s a new Boracay now! The closure was good for the island, and we’re hoping for more tourists to be heading here, which is better for the stakeholders and locals. 

We just hope that (the local government) seriously and strictly implements the laws and ordinances. If they do, we will never go wrong. I recommend though that perhaps the LGUs can formulate stricter policies, impose high penalties for the violations and ensure religious monitoring and implementation of the rules and guidelines. Let us all be responsible tourists to Mother Nature. We truly believe in the vision of sustainable tourism. 

As part of the business community, I can say that it’s been difficult, but we understand that, once in a while, the island needs rest just like humans do. This is only the beginning and we hope that we sustain the cleanliness of the island and keep its waters and beaches pristine. 

Danille Villanueva, multimedia content developer

I was in Boracay before the rehab, from February to March 2018, and was here when they officially announced the closure. I’m currently staying in Boracay for work and I can say it’s still a bit chaotic due to the ongoing construction projects. But the beach is beautiful, and it’s seen a complete turnaround. I’m staying at Station 3 and this is the cleanest I’ve ever seen the waters. 

I hope tourists won’t expect everything to be completely done, and that they do their part in ensuring the island stays clean and healthy. The other day I noticed a resort staff asking someone who passed by to pick up his trash. So we have to remind people to be more responsible. 

I haven’t seen a piece of trash, cigarette butt, and the like since I got here. Also, I’ve noticed more trucks cleaning and clearing the sand every now and then.

I think the greatest challenge now for the island and the LGUs is to maintain the cleanliness and continue what they’ve started. Right now, it seems easy, but when tourists start pouring in, they’ll have to double their efforts. The LGUs cannot do it alone; people need to do their part.  

Anne Mae yu Lamentillo, Build, Build, Build Committee

When I visited Florida as part of the US Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) — I learned that beach closures were part of a standard operating procedure relevant to Algal Bloom Monitoring. Recently, it closed Jupiter Beaches in Palm Beach County and Hobe Sound Beach and Bathtub Beach in Martin County.

In the State of Rhode Island, the moment the concentration of Enterococci bacteria in beach water exceeds 60 colony-forming units per 100 ml, they issue a temporary closure.

In 2018 alone, there were at least 40 beach closures in Rhode Island, including Briar Point Beach in Coventry, Camp Beach, in Kingston, Bristol Town Beach, Oakland Beach in Warwick and Sandy Point Beach in Porstmount. More recently, Thailand’s Maya Bay, made famous by Leonardo DiCaprio’s film The Beach was also closed indefinitely.

At the onset, critics pointed out that the Boracay beach closure seemed to be a drastic move — an isolated strategy. But the statement is nothing but a myth. 

Sonny Dacumos, retiree

It was last year that I had first flown to Boracay for my 60th birthday, and I was more than thrilled by the scene. It was perfect for a senior citizen like me who likes to walk along the beach in the morning, and spend the afternoon just lazing around.

But it was also perfect for the young ones. I had planned to go back again with my wife and family for a future trip, so when I had heard that it was undergoing a major rehabilitation, a part of me felt that I would never get the chance to enjoy the Boracay that I had first experienced. 

I followed the news closely when it came to the Boracay rehab. At first, I was bummed out by the closures of the bars and the removal of many of the sights and activities along the beachfront. I also felt bad for the vendors who not only made a living on the beach, but also brought a homey sense of community. But after reading all the news, I understood it was necessary. It was only a matter of decades for the island to deteriorate.

Now it looks healthy. Viewing the video clips and photos online, I’m quite relieved and excited to be able experience Boracay maybe a few more times in my lifetime, and it may even be better than my first memory of it. 

Diz Perez, fashion photographer

I’ve been going to Boracay since 1999, and I loved heading there almost every year because of the chill vibe it had. It was the perfect getaway. The first time I was there, it was before D’Mall had even opened and there were more local places to eat in and be in. At that time, there was just a really small community of locals that called Boracay home. The prices then were, of course, cheaper, and it was harder to get to.

But over the years, small changes happened, which led to its rise in popularity and commercialization. Soon, it became too crowded and it became a money-machine. 

That’s why I’m actually looking forward to seeing the rehabilitated Boracay. No more parties and they’ll be imposing stricter laws, which were all in place anyway before the rehab happened, and just needed to be implemented.

I look forward to rediscovering Boracay, the island that I used to know. While others may think the six-month closure was a drastic move, I think it’s a long time coming. It would be great to see how this plan of the government pushes through. Sana maayos, for everyone’s sake.