TOURISM is one major contributor to the gross domestic product but if we do not take care of our environment, we will lose to rival destinations in Asia the many foreign tourists flocking to the Philippines.
President Rodrigo Duterte did what other leaders would not have done: He shut down Boracay Island on April 26 this year to give way to a six-month rehabilitation after describing the prime tourist spot as a cesspool. Boracay in time healed itself and is now ready to accommodate tourists again.
Boracay’s closure and cleanup, however, should not be the first and last. President Duterte should train his sight on other equally famous beach and tourism destinations. The government in the middle of this month zeroed in on El Nido in Palawan, ranked as one of the top 20 most beautiful beaches in the world by a foreign luxury and lifestyle travel magazine.
This is a step in the right direction. All our popular resorts should be subjected to strict environmental standards to ensure their long-term viability. I am sure foreign governments and the world tourism industry will look up to the Philippines if we succeed in preserving and cleaning up our tourist spots. Word gets around fast and the Philippine tourism industry will benefit from the rehabilitation of popular tourist destinations.
The cleanup of popular tourist spots might as well include the mountain resort city of Baguio, the famous Banaue Rice Terraces in the mountains of Ifugao province, Panglao Island in Bohol, Paoay in Ilocos Norte and the Puerto Galera beaches in Oriental Mindoro.
The rehabilitation of Boracay and the rigid environmental standards enforced prior to its reopening would not have happened if the government did not have the resolve to do what is good for the country. I agree with what the Malacañang Palace said when Boracay was reopened to the public late last month. It described Boracay as a “lesson of political will” and “a lesson of neglect, misfeasance, and malfeasance” by unidentified persons.
The cesspool that was Boracay, according to Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo, would not have happened if political will was exhibited by those in authority and if only officials of the island paradise, as well as the stakeholders, operated by following the law and the rules and regulations of pertinent government agencies.
It took the strong leadership of President Duterte to put things in order and we should all learn from these lessons so that Boracay will become an attraction not only in this country but in the world, Panelo added.
The sewage problem is common in popular tourism spots. While El Nido is not being shut down, the government is set to impose the strict environmental rules being ignored by hotels, restaurants and households in the Palawan beach site. The government has initially ordered the closure of at least 22 establishments in El Nido for illegal operations. Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu says more businesses will be shut down in El Nido for violation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act and the Philippine Clean Water Act.
El Nido, a first-class municipality, was declared a managed resource protected area in 1998 from being a turtle sanctuary in 1984. It was later declared a marine reserve park in 1991, and has since been attracting thousands of foreign and local tourists. It is famous for its white-sand beaches and dramatic limestone cliffs.
But El Nido’s allure cannot be sustained if the establishments there do not have a proper sewage and waste disposal system. The local government should adopt a more proactive attitude in dealing with the filth that is finding its way into the open sea.
Like Boracay, El Nido is suffering from overdevelopment. The government must check if the infrastructure there is enough and adequate to accommodate the increasing number of tourists visiting the tourism site.
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This piece first came out in Business Mirror on Nov. 27, 2018 under the column “The Entrepreneur.” For comments/feedback e-mail to: mbv.secretariat@gmail.com or visitwww.mannyvillar.com.ph./PN
