Binay: Boracay might not be able to support more infrastructure

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Nancy Binay on Thursday questioned the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.'s grant to a Macau-based casino giant of a provisional license to enter Boracay despite the potential one-year shutdown of the island for rehabilitation.

 

Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd. on Wednesday secured a provisional license for its integrated casino-resort project in Barangay Manoc-Manoc on Boracay.

 

In a statement, the chair of the Senate Committee on Tourism said that the the island, which has been a top tourist destination for years, might no longer be able take the impact of more large-scale infrastructure there. 

 

"It would have been prudent if they deferred first because we're rehabilitating Boracay," she said.

 

READ: What we know so far: Boracay casino projects amid concerns for 'cesspool' island

 

Binay also renewed her call to implement a moratorium on new construction in Boracay instead of a one-year total closure, which she said is "not the best solution for the island and its locals."

 

She stressed "a phase-by-phase rehabilitation where government can strictly enforce the law and at the same time implement the needed corrective measures could be the better option for Boracay."

 

The mega-casino is expected to rake in at least $100 million in annual revenues.

 

The planned casino has been met with criticism as it runs counter to the concerns that President Rodrigo Duterte has raised about the congestion and excessive commercial activity in Boracay, which he dubbed as a "cesspool."

A regional official of the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources in Western Visayas has said that the island's environmental problems stem from overpopulation.

 

According to 2015 data, the island, which is around seven kilometers long, hosts 350 resorts, hotels, apartelles and pension houses. The island supports 33,000 residents and hosts around 2 million tourists a year.

 

Jim Sampulna, Department of Environment and Natural Resources 6 regional executive director, said in a report in The Freeman in February that even if tourists are limited to just 5,000, that would still be too many. 

 

"The sad part now is Boracay is being invaded by intruders. There aren't a lot of locals and natives. Boracay now is like a market... rather a big supermarket," Sampulna said.

 

One of the regional office's suggestions is for employees of hotels and resorts to live in mainland Malay and to have them leave the island when their shifts end.

 

READ: Macau's Galaxy bags provisional license for Boracay casino project