MOI INDEED revisited Boracay on Monday, Oct. 15, just in time for the launching of the “first day dry run” to the “soft opening” on Oct. 26.
From the first-hand look, it does seem there’s still a lot that needs to be done and time is definitely running out.
The whole island appears to be in a massive upheaval; diggings, construction along with the usual debris of construction materials and the air, along what used to be hotels, resorts and restaurants, is heavy with dust probably coming from all that cement used.
I can hardly find my way on what used to be familiar streets; alleys and places now are unrecognizable.
The first thought that came to mind after seemingly being overwhelmed by the unfamiliar and ugly upheavals was, “Can they finish all this for Oct. 26?”
Can they bring back Boracay to what it was, if not better? For sure the whole world is watching and waiting with bated breathes.
It’s only a week to be exact, seven days from today till Oct. 26. What will the first batch of tourists see? A completely rehabilitated and improved Boracay or massive unfinished construction sites?
First and foremost Boracay would not be the No. 1 tourist attraction of the country if not for it’s fine white sand beaches and clear waters. It would just be another island in this archipelago and we have more than 7,000 of them.
So what makes Boracay unique? Most romantics (present company included) would say Boracay is not just a place but a state of mind a way of life that, by the way, is probably one if not the best beach in the world.
And we segue to that beach; it was a completely transformed beach – the crystal clear waters, the fine white sand, no more green algae. It’s like stepping (literally) back in time when Boracay’s White Beach was just that.
I’m not saying the beach was like it was during the early ‘70s when moi first stepped on that powdery white sand; no, that would be stretching it a bit.
Let’s put it this way: Boracay’s White Beach now, after the rehabilitation and clean-up, is like what it was during the early ‘80s when the only resort of significance was Friday’s Boracay and the only nightlife was “Bazura Disco.” Still not bad; in fact it’s very good.
It was lovely swimming in the early morning when the sun was not too hot yet, the waters were clean (the Department of Environment and Natural Resources says the coliform has gone down to a very minimal level) and cool, and fishes were back you could see them darting about; they say this was a good sign.
It does, indeed, look like the six months breather did wonders to the world famous beach. I supposed it took the political will of that coarse, “putang ina” President Rodrigo Duterte to say that Boracay is a cesspool and needs to be closed and rehabilitated.
The beach is fine and looking good but what about the island’s infrastructure, the road repairs and the drainage and sewage facilities ongoing constructions, including the rehabilitation and repairs done by the hotels and resorts?
From what I see they’re far from completed and it’s only a week till the soft opening.
And what about the nine wetlands in Boracay that have become informal settlers’ — or more properly, squatter – communities, including their shit? Have they been cleared and restored?
And what about the rest of the commercial establishments, hotels and resort that are still not compliant?
The main reason why the waters and beach are clean now and green algae-free is because there is no overload of organic waste (or plain old shit). There are no tourists and the organic waste of the residents is still manageable by the current sewage facilities.
More important, the violators – the establishments that literally dumped their shit into the beach and waters – are closed.
What happens if by Oct. 26 Boracay will have a massive influx of tourists with the repair and rehabilitation projects still not fully completed? Can the island handle it?
The time I was there I spent some time talking to some friends who owned resorts and coffee shops, and it was almost unanimous: they were saying that the Oct. 26 “soft opening” might be too soon and since we’re already midway, why not just extend the opening till the end of the year so everything can be completed by then with no rush?
And that seems like a very sensible idea. And here’s another equally sensible idea – a massive Information and Education Campaign or IEC on simply keeping Boracay garbage-free.
Excerpts from an Oct. 16 story from CNN Philippines:
Plastic cups, garbage litter Boracay beach on 1st day of dry run
On the first day of the dry run of Boracay island’s reopening following months of cleaning and rehabilitation, trash was spotted littered in some areas of the beach front Monday.
Photos posted on social media just hours after dry run ceremonies in the island showed plastic bags, cups, and other garbage items scattered near the shoreline. The images gathered a lot of netizens’ reactions.
Moi was there during that first day of dry run. Sure enough there were the usual suspects, i.e. politicians, Cabinet secretaries, performers and participants, the media hordes and probably more policemen than Camp Delgado but no trash bins. Considering the Pinoys’ nonchalant attitude towards the environment, the beachfront just became the convenient trash bin. (brotherlouie16@gmail.com/PN)
