Demolition of structures on Boracay wetlands starts

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has started the demolition of structures sitting on wetlands in Boracay, an environment official said.

Jonas Leones, DENR undersecretary for policy, planning and international affairs, said a team began its demolition work with a workers’ dormitory that has been vacated.

More structures, he added, would be destroyed as soon as the government finds decent relocation sites where affected residents and workers could be transferred.

The DENR earlier issued notices to several establishments occupying a wetland area.

“Some have already made voluntary exit while the search for relocation sites for others is ongoing,” Leones noted.

Aside from the demolitions, Leones said the DENR is also engaging companies for a project to adopt the wetlands in Boracay. These groups are reportedly interested in helping restore the wetlands, or the land areas that could serve as catch basin and may prevent flooding, to its former condition.

“The companies, as part of their corporate social responsibility, will engage in efforts to clean up, rehabilitate and secure the wetlands,” Leones added.

The DENR lamented that Boracay is rich in biodiversity but is now threatened by unsustainable tourism practices. This prompted the agency to declare a 750-hectare portion of the island as a critical habitat to protect and conserve the habitats of threatened flying foxes, insect bats, marine turtles and other species found on the island.

President Duterte ordered Boracay closed to the public for six months starting April 26 to give way to rehabilitation activities.

When the island reopens for tourism and commercial activities, a group of hotels in Boracay will also incorporate sustainable measures in their day-to-day operations.

Christine Ibarreta, Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) president, said sustainability is now the advocacy of the island’s tourism stakeholders under One Boracay initiative, which includes the Tourism Congress of the Philippines, Philippine Travel Agencies Association and local tourism stakeholders.

“Now we’ve learned our lesson and we’re not going to do it again,” Ibaretta told The STAR.

She added that the group would also look for ways to educate their guests on issues concerning sustainability.

“We go for sustainable tourism, responsible tourism… That’s our advocacy – to go sustainable. There’s no other way,” she said. – With Catherine Talavera