Until the early part of 2018, Boracay was the crown jewel of the Philippine tourism industry. The famous island adjoining the province of Aklan was, in fact, marketed as the ultimate island paradise: Each year, Boracay was home to hordes of visitors from all over the world, eager to live it up in what has been dubbed as one of the best island destinations on the planet.
Mention the word Boracay and images of long stretch of white sand beaches, azure waters, rows of coconut trees dotting the shores, wild nightlife, exotic nature tours, sunbaked skin, puka shells, open bars, extreme water sports, and dazzling fire dancers were immediately conjured up in one's mind.
Indeed, Boracay was, by all indicators, the end-all and be-all of any foreign and domestic traveler alike wishing to experience what the tropical Philippines has to offer.
Today, however, the once enticing word Boracay cannot be uttered without thinking of dirty politics, dirty environment, and dirty money.
What happened?
From a sleepy island paradise to a hub of crass commercialism
Back in the '70s and '80s, the little island of Boracay was unknown even to most Filipinos. Back then, the island was largely home to an indigenous cultural group called the Ati tribe who are related to other Negrito tribes on the island of Luzon in the Philippines.
Then came European backpackers whose pursuit of "exotic" adventures enabled them to chance upon this once idyllic rural island.
Word of this intriguing destination spread until a sudden spike in tourism arrivals sometime in the '90s resulted in a construction boom. All of a sudden, hotels, restaurants, and other commercial establishments looking to cash in on the surge of tourist arrivals began to be built en masse, eating up huge swathes of what used to be pristine forests.
The mad and insatiable commercialization of Boracay arguably reached its apogee when the island, almost inevitably, became home to a McDonald's franchise sometime in 2012.
- The Ati tribe were driven out of their homes by exploitative land-grabbers and huge corporations backed by private armed guards. The resistance of some Ati leaders against the systematic abuses perpetrated against their tribe resulted in their brutal deaths. What used to be part of their ancestral domains became hotels and commercial establishments. Meanwhile, members of the tribe were pushed back into periphery, enduring abject poverty on an island now dotted with luxury accommodations catering to the fabulously rich.
- The island became a prime example of environmental degradation. What used to be crystal clear waters along its famous stretch of white sand beach became infested with widespread algal bloom -- an obvious indicator of the presence of an abormally high level of organic matter in the waters. The cause? Illegal sewage systems releasing waste water and toilet byproducts, including human excrement, directly into the sea.
- In addition, Boracay's famous white sand was being dredged and sold to developers looking to replicate and build their own little Boracays someplace else or else being put in bottles to take home as souvenirs. The result? Aggressive episodes of soil erosion threatening to wash away the shore.
- Too, Boracay's forests, even what were supposed to be protected areas, were razed down for property developments, including by some influential figures, such as billionaire boxer and now senator Manny Pacquiao, who himself is the owner of a Boracay mansion plagued by controversies. Senator Cynthia Villar, part of the family that owns a real estate company building a huge condo complex on the island, also happens to be the Chair of the Senate's Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. Verily, Boracay spells conflicts of interests and untamed greed.
- Prior to its closure, Boracay had been operating well beyond its capacity. On this island, sustainability is a concept flushed down the toilet by profit-hungry businesses and corrupt leaders whose blatant disregard of the law and regulations had turned Boracay into a hapless milking cow. In recent years, Boracay had become a party destination frequented by revelers from all over the world. The island teems with people on any given day, particularly during the holidays, including the peak summer months of April and May, Holy Week, Labor Day, university semestral breaks, as well as Christmas and New Year's Day vacation.
Shutting down the party
Early in 2018, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, himself hounded by controversies from his murderous war on drugs that saw and continues to see the brutal deaths of thousands of predominantly poor and impoverished Filipinos since his assumption to office, ordered the temporary closure of Boracay Island. His reason? Boracay desperately needs to be rehabilitated.
The need to rehabilitate the island cannot be overstated. Boracay has become, in the words of many, a cesspool -- and a gross one at that. Years of unabated commercial growth, lack of long-term planning, blatant violations of the law, and untempered greed have contributed to the sorry state of Boracay.
But as with all things in the Philippines, a major decision such as the closure of Boracay is one that cannot by any measure be free from controversies and intrigues. Here's why:
- The President's shutdown order meant thousands of people making a living on the island were practically rendered jobless overnight. Zero tourist arrivals mean zero income, and for many people dependent on the hospitality industry on the island, this was a death sentence. In the wake of the shutdown order, thousands of now jobless locals were given pennies for dole-outs which did not by any measure exacerbate the spike of poverty incidence on the island.
- The shutdown order by the President was seen by many as a spontaneous product of his now infamous profanity-laden outbursts bereft of logic, wisdom, and strategic and long-term planning. Precisely how the rehabilitation of the island was to be conducted was a mystery; as it were, there didn't seem to be any plan at all other than the dispatch of armed soldiers to the island. Later, the same soldiers were seen in photos enjoying Boracay's waters by their lonesome. Construction overhaul? Bulldozing illegal structures? Improving the island's sewage system? Repairing pothole-riddled roads? Putting corrupt leaders to jail? There was none of that.
- Despite the construction ban during the temporary shutdown, news surfaced of the continuous construction of the condo complex by the real estate developer owned by Senator Villar. Talks were also rife with the construction of a Chinese casino on the island. President Duterte is famously subservient to China.
So what's next for Boracay?
The Duterte administration promises that Boracay, newly rehabilitated, shall be reopened to the public by October 26, 2018, with a dry run set on October 15th.
In this regard, what should visitors to the island expect? Should tourists begin booking flights and accommodations for their Boracay vacation? Is a Boracay vacation even tenable at this point, or would it be safer to choose a different destination for now?
We consider the pros and cons of a Boracay vacation at this point in time.
The pros of going to Boracay following its reopening this October are as follows:
- Cheaper flights and cheaper accommodations. Because airlines and hotels have to start from zero, there is relatively less demand from other potential tourists to contend with. At this point, a lot of people may still be wary about going to Boracay because of all the controversies hounding the island. As such, now may be a good time for those who can't be bothered by all these talks about politics and money, and who see this time as an opportunity to snag up huge savings on flights and accommodations.
- Visiting the island following its "rehabilitation" may be a great way to see Boracay in a different light -- not as a party island but as a peaceful and quiet destination. There have been talks of restricting the number of tourist arrivals on the island, which is most definitely a positive development.
- Improved facilities and cleaner environment (maybe). News are rife of new and supposedly stricter regulations that need to be adhered to by businesses on the island on the matter of complying with existing environmental regulations. If giving benefit of the doubt is your thing, this may signal a reason for you to give Boracay a go.
- If you feel like doing your share in helping those previously left jobless by getting their bearings back, now may be a good time. Visitors coming in on the island mean business, and the more business there is, the more people are going to be re-employed.
We now go to the cons of visiting Boracay at this point in time:
- First, when photos from government propagandists emerged this year showing the supposedly cleaner Boracay, many people were impressed -- that is, until it was discovered that the photos were actually taken years earlier. For a long time now, the Duterte administration has been saying one thing but meaning another, so much so that it's hard to believe what the government is saying without falling trap to yet another #FakeNews episode. Caveat emptor.
- Do you really want to laze around on the the beach and enjoy the warm tropical environment of Boracay while being watched by armed soldiers? Hundreds of soldiers have descended on the island for reasons one could only guess, and so far, there have been no orders for them to leave.
- Boracay has suffered such a heavy beating in the past years, no thanks to crass commercialism and poor governance, that it no longer holds the same allure as it did in the past. In fact, in the wake of Boracay's shutdown, a number of alternative destinations have cropped up. The Philippines is home to thousands of islands offering the same if not better experience for travelers, so maybe it's time to forget about Boracay and discover other equally if more rad options.
For all its worth, it is hoped that the shutdown of Boracay serves as the beginning of more positive changes for the island.
Are you thinking of going to Boracay anytime soon? What are your thoughts on the government's sudden shutdown of the island? Let us know in the comments section below.