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BY BOY RYAN ZABAL
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February 12, 2018
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BORACAY – President Rodrigo Duterte’s warning to ‘close’ this popular island destination is a “wake-up call” to local officials in Aklan, according to Rep. Carlito Marquez.
Marquez added that the warning “[serves] as an opportunity for everybody to prioritize environmental impact over profits.”
“[It] is a wake-up call for Boracay’s future…whatever happens to Boracay is a responsibility of every Aklanon and investors [in the island’,” Marquez stressed.
Duterte threatened to close Boracay if its environmental issues will not be resolved in six months.
The President said this in a speech during the Manila Times’ Business Forum in Davao City on Feb. 9.
He tasked Environment secretary Roy Cimatu to fix the sewerage problem in the world-renowned island.
“I will close Boracay. Boracay is a cesspool. If you go into the water, it’s smelly. Smell of what? Shit,” Duterte said.
Marquez urged local officials and other stakeholders to find solutions for the problems that confront the island, saying, “Tourism is nothing but an experience. Tourists go back to Boracay because of its beauty. Let us cooperate to save Boracay.”
Boracay has been a subject of negative comments as its environmental woes – flooding, poor drainage, and solid waste management problems, among others – continue to worsen.
Urbanization in the island is seen as the cause of the problems.
Last year, a total of 2,001,974 tourists visited Boracay, according to Malay Municipal Tourism Officer Felix delos Santos.The number of arrivals is 16 percent higher compared to that in 2016. (With a report from Aklan Forum Journal/PN)
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