BORACAY – Where exactly are the sinkholes in this top tourist destination?
According to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (MGB-DENR), there are 815 sinkholes in this world-famous island.
But local workers, residents and barangay officials said they have yet to find sinkholes which the MGB said could potentially collapse if the island’s carrying capacity is not observed.
The MGB earlier recommended lessening the weight of structures in Boracay such as by having only one-storey buildings to minimize the risk of collapse.
For Mayor Frolibar Bautista of Malay, Aklan which has jurisdiction over Boracay, there’s no doubt that the island’s carrying capacity is being observed.
Following the island’s rehabilitation in 2018, Boracay was urged to comply with its tourist carrying capacity of 19,215 or a daily capacity of over 6,000.
“Kung sobrang bigat ng structure, nag-a-add ng weight, plus the fact na natutunaw ‘yung ilalim. Only time can tell, ma-collapse gid na siya,” said Mae Magarzo, chief of MGB Region 6’s Geosciences Division.
As the local chief executive, one would think that Bautista has a hazard map which identifies the exact location of the sinkholes. But he doesn’t.
Bautista said a meeting has been set today, Dec. 21, to discuss the MGB’s findings.
A sinkhole is a hole in the ground that forms when water dissolves surface rock, often limestone, which is easily eroded, or worn away, by the movement of water, according to the National Geographic.
In a landscape where limestone sits underneath the soil, water from rainfall collects in cracks in the stone. Slowly, as the limestone dissolves and is carried away, the cracks widen until the ground above them becomes unstable and collapses, it explained.
The collapse often happens very suddenly and without very much warning.
“I’m sure na ipapakita nila (MGB-6) ‘yung mga mapa (during the meeting) kung nasaan ‘yang mga sinkhole na ‘yan or kung may mga structures ba nakapatong sa mga sinkholes,” said Bautista.
In Boracay which is entirely limestone, the number of sinkholes has been increasing in recent years, according to MGB-6.
Its Karst Subsidence Hazard Mapping showed 789 sinkholes in 2018. These increased to 801 in 2019, 814 in 2020, and 815 from 2021 to 2022.
Bautista is certain he hasn’t seen a sinkhole and even doubts that a structure has been built above one.
“Nakikita naman natin ‘yung mga building natin diyan, bago gawin ‘yan especially ‘yung mga second and third floor, dumaan ‘yan sa test. Requirement ‘yan ng building officials. Since nag-start ang turismo sa Boracay, wala pa akong narinig dito na merong nag-crack na structures or meron bang nag-sag na mga building.”
Based on reports, all three barangays in the island have been said to be littered with sinkholes – Manoc-manoc having the most with 293.
But Barangay Manoc-manoc kagawad Cristian Gelito said they were taken by surprise upon hearing the news.
“‘Yung mga taga-rito sa barangay nagulat din na bakit ganun karami ang nakita nila. And we actually don’t have the exact information kung saan po ba itong 290 plus identified nila,” Gelito said.
He, however, admitted that in 2018 a team from the MGB made the rounds in their area to survey several deep wells in what is now considered a wetland – a no-build zone.
These deep wells, according to residents, have been present for decades and used to be one of the main sources of water.
“While I was talking with the team from DENR as they said, these deep wells might be interconnected daw or there are concerns na may mga sinkholes silang nakita. Pero those were presumptive investigation pa, because what they need to know is they really have to go thru all of those identified na may probability na sinkholes sila.”
After that survey, Gelito said they received no information. This latest development, he hopes, would serve as the chance for the local government and the MGB to meet, process the information, make useful recommendations that eventually be cascaded to residents.
He said those who are most surprised by the news are the elderly who said that not once have they witnessed a structure or landmass collapse on the island.
Meanwhile, with Boracay regaining from the COVID-19 pandemic, many fear that the news of hundreds of sinkholes may once again hurt their attempt at recovery.
Local workers who rely heavily on tourism said that at a time when tourist arrivals are just beginning to pick up, reports on the sinkholes and warnings of a collapse is the last thing people need to hear.
“Kami nga mismo taga-rito, hindi namin alam kung ano ang nangyayari. Wala naman kaming balita na may ganoon. Wala rin kaming nakikita, sir. ‘Yung key hole nakikita namin pinupuntahan ng mga turista ‘yun. Pero ‘yung ano na ‘yun, wala talaga kaming nakita kahit isa,” said Jun, a paddle board instructor on the island.
While some admitted to not being aware of the news of the sinkholes, those familiar to the MGB’s report said it has somewhat dampened their attempt to make their family getaway memorable.
For Jed Clark, whose trip to Boracay is the second family vacation in the last three years, it would do well for the MGB to pinpoint the exact location the sinkholes.
“Sana kung totoo man, ilabas nila sa publiko para alam ng tao kung saan iiwas pati ‘yung mga turista. Kung baga stress-free itong lugar na ito eh tapos ‘yan nabalitaan natin. Magwo-worry talaga,” he said.
In Barangay Yapak, known for the famous Puka Beach, another local leader is faced with a challenge.
Kagawad Reggiel Sacapaño said he’s now beginning to receive inquiries from residents about the sinkholes.
“May nag-text sa akin nung isang araw, ano raw ba ang sinkhole. Ang pagkarinig ko butas sa ilalim ng lupa. ‘Yun ang pagkaintindi ko sa sinkhole.”
The struggle to explain, he said stems from the lack of information coming from the MGB.
As a local leader, he claims that no coordination was made with the barangay when the survey was conducted. He even challenged those responsible to face them.
“Panawagan ko sa inyo, sir, madam, o kung sino man po kayo. Sana bumalik kayo dito sa amin sa barangay ng Yapak para makapag-usap tayo ng maayos para maayos natin ang binalita niyo at ipaabot natin sa mga tao kung may katotohanan po ‘yung mga sinasabi niyo na ganon karami ang sinkhole dito sa isla ng Boracay,” he said.
Sacapaño also advised his fellow residents not to give in to fear.
For those living on the island, the reports at this point is poor timing. Incomplete and unclear information about the sinkholes may inevitably impact what lies ahead for Boracay.
“‘Yung future ng isla namin, may ma-e-engganyo pa ba na pumunta, dahil nga identified na 800 sinkholes nakakatakot po ‘yun. Medyo nangangamba po kami, kasi we don’t have experts from our end na magsasabi kung ano ang possibility with these sinkholes,” Gelito lamented.
Bautista said a meeting with the MGB-6 has been tentatively slated for Dec. 21. Until then, residents and local officials can only hope that despite detections of additional sinkholes, the island will continue to recover from the overwhelming challenges it has and is continuing to overcome.
Boracay has a total land area of 10.32 square kilometers. It is approximately seven kilometers long, dog-bone shaped, with the narrowest spot being less than one kilometer wide.
Based on the study conducted by DENR-Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau in 2018 yet, the tourist carrying capacity of Boracay is 19,215 persons at any given time, or equivalent to 6,405 arrivals a day for a three-day stay. The ideal tourist arrival per day should be 6,085.
Meanwhile, the island’s population carrying capacity is 54,945 including the tourism carrying capacity. The existing population when the study was conducted in 2018 was 70,781 or an excess of 15,836 a day.
DENR regional executive director Livino Duran said they are yet to release an updated carrying capacity for Boracay. (With reports from Raphael Bosano/ABS-CBN News)/PN
