MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said that after the rehabilitation of Boracay Island, other tourists destinations would follow as part of a “new national effort.”
Boracay’s deterioration showed government neglect, Duterte said during his third State of the Nation Address (SONA).
“I could not allow this decay to continue,” Duterte said.
The government intends to restore Boracay’s environmental integrity while helping those whose livelihoods were affected by the island’s closure, he said.
“Other tourist destinations needing urgent rehabilitation and enforcement of environmental and other laws shall soon follow,” Duterte added.
“I urge local government units to proactively enforce our laws and not wait for us to swoop down on your areas just to do you duty and work,” he continued.
Duterte also said that Boracay’s situation was an indication of the need to rationalize the use and management of the country’s lands.
The President also called on the Senate to “urgently pass the National Land Use Act,” which he said would address competing land requirements for food, housing, business and environmental conservation.
“We need to do this now,” Duterte said. (ABS-CBN News)
