Boracay listed among World's Greatest Places of 2022 by TIME
MANILA, Philippines — The island paradise of Boracay has been named by TIME Magazine as one of the World's Greatest Places of 2022, the only Philippine location to make the list.
The magazine said they selected their list of 50 destinations from correspondents and contributors around the world "with an eye toward those offering new and exciting experiences."
Writer Charlie Campbell quoted former President Rodrigo Duterte in calling Boracay "Paradise Lost" and "a cesspool" because of the amount of garbage that muddied the island's white sand beaches and clear waters, prompting its closure for rehabilitation.
With the initial six-month closure extended by the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, Boracay was given more time recover and was able to receive international visitors once more in February 2022.
Related: ‘Boracay rehab completion seen by mid-2022’
Campbell noted that according to locals, "flora and fauna, like sea turtles, and hospitality has come back just as spectacularly." In TIME's explanation for selecting locations, they cited Boracay as among the areas "charting a path to economic recovery."
TIME listed other global travel havens like Jamaica, Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Bali in Indonesia, Thessaloniki in Greece, Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, and even included the Arctic and the International Space Station
Several capital cities also made TIME's list like Seoul, Copenhagen, Doha, Bogota, and Nairobi, and big cities such as San Francisco, Miami, Marseilles and Toronto.
In TIME's 2021 list, the sole Philippine selection was surfing spot Siargao in Surigao del Norte, months before it was ravaged by Super Typhoon Odette.
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