Boracay’s troubling state

Over the Holy Week vacation, somebody posted photos of Boracay as it was a little over 15 years ago, and what it has become today. Those who are familiar with Boracay then remember the sense of peace and serenity one could feel just walking on the seemingly endless stretch of pristine white sand beaches with the waters looking so crystal clear. Today, peaceful would be the last word associated with Boracay as throngs of people crowd the white sand beaches – giving one an idea of how the population has grown by more than leaps and bounds. In Metro Manila alone, one could see how population growth has exploded (or imploded as some prefer to describe it, insisting that the overcrowding and congestion is causing the collapse of the metropolis).

It’s really ironic that even the places where one can supposedly go to take a peaceful break have also become choked by droves of people who look at Easter as an excuse to indulge in relentless drinking and partying. No wonder the local municipal government in charge of Boracay has seen fit to issue a resolution banning events accompanied by loud noise and partying during Good Friday – probably because they have been receiving a lot of complaints.

While it may be true that the influx of tourists in Boracay is good for the economy, this should not be at the expense of the environment and moreover, the safety of the people. Obviously, the congestion is taking a toll on the island, with some visitors telling us that they have spotted slimy green stuff settling on the shoreline. However, what’s even more disturbing are reports that drug pushers may be plying their trade on the island, and that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency is reportedly monitoring Caticlan port as a possible transshipment point of drug traffickers. Heaven forbid if Boracay would someday be known not as a tourist paradise, but as a drug haven.

CAB’s folly

We received a number of feedback and emails regarding our April 15 column on the Civil Aeronautics Board (“Parochial mindset at CAB”) and executive director Carmelo Arcilla’s terse rebuff of Qatar Airway’s request for a small increase in the frequencies to and from Manila which currently stands at eight weekly flight frequencies.  Passengers who take Qatar Airways say they find the service of the carrier impressive and the planes very comfortable, not to mention the reasonable price of airfare.  No surprise therefore that the Qatari flag carrier has been voted Airline of the Year in 2011 and 2012 by Skytrax, the prominent UK-based airline and airports ratings group.

A friend from Qatar Airways also thanked us for “opening up the eyes” of the Department of Transportation and Communications about their request, adding that they are prepared to do their part in promoting the Philippines as an attractive destination not only for tourists, but for investors as well. Qatar has been exploring investment opportunities in Southeast Asia and has looked favorably on the Philippines, with several agreements inked to strengthen bilateral relations, among them the establishment of a $1 billion investment fund targeting various sectors. We’re told that a Philippine-Qatar Business Council office was set-up in Mindanao – and the timing is very opportune in light of the recent positive developments in the South.

Considering the big number of Filipinos in Qatar – many of whom have been sponsoring the visit of their relatives in the wealthy Gulf state – one could see that the request for additional flights is timely and reasonable – and yet this is being stymied for some reason or another. A lot of people actually don’t understand why the Civil Aeronautics Board under Carmelo Arcilla seems so gung-ho to forge air pacts with countries like New Zealand and conduct air talks with Macau and Myanmar – but snubs the request of Qatar Airways executives. Not for anything but Myanmar has about 500 OFWs, some 17,000 Filipinos (or Kiwipinos) live in New Zealand while about the same number are also deployed in the Chinese territory – numbers that when combined do not even come close to the estimated 250,000 overseas Filipino workers in Qatar.

Spy Bits feels strongly that it is folly to let one person undermine a huge potential to attract more investments and tourism opportunities into the country either out of bias or whim or some other unfathomable reason.

Philex launches green advocacy

Things are definitely green with the launch of the “Pusong Luntian” (translated as green heart) eco-forum series of Philex Mining Corporation and the Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship (PBEST) at the GT-Toyota Asian Cultural Center in UP Diliman yesterday. The event marked the start of a four-part series that gathers thought and action leaders from the public, private and academic sectors to discuss environment issues and arrive at a consensus on how environmental challenges can be addressed.

Everyone knows climate change is upon us, with the effects seen and felt particularly by the poor, and the situation compounded by air and water pollution, deforestation, solid waste management and other problems. Secretary Lucille Sering of the Climate Change Commission and a member of the Mining Industry Coordinating Council was the keynote speaker during the forum with CP David of UP-NIGS, Carmelita Passe of the Environmental Management Bureau and Rep. Amado Bagatsing of the House Committee on Ecology as panelists. A highlight of the event is the signing of the Pusong Luntian manifesto and the symbolic stopping of the climate change clock.

***

Email: [email protected]