Newsmakers

Welcome back, Boracay

PEOPLE - Joanne Rae M. Ramirez - The Philippine Star

October 30, 2018 | 12:00am

Boracay’s White Beach during the island’s soft opening Friday.

Photos by Joanne Rae Ramirez

BORACAY ISLAND — We missed you.

As Tourism Secretary Berna Puyat said when she declared the island of Boracay open after a six-month hiatus: “Welcome back to Boracay. Welcome back, Boracay.”

For she wasn’t only welcoming back the Boracay-homesick tourists — she was welcoming back Boracay itself. Through years of exploitation and disregard for the rules of both man and nature, the island was no longer the pristine island discovered by beach lovers in the ‘70s.

It had, as President Duterte has lamented, become a “cesspool.”

A colorful Boracay sign to mark the island’s reopening to tourists.

The Boracay that we welcomed back during the island’s soft opening last Friday pretty much had the years of neglect shaved off it. It looked almost pristine again. The stretch of white sand has been redeemed from a motley of beach umbrellas, massage tables, bar tables, stalls and illegal wonky tonks. Gone, too, from the beachfront were the barkers pressuring tourists into boat rides or vendors selling anything from pearls to choriburgers.

These hardworking vendors will have their designated areas.

“The beachfront we are seeing now, this was the Boracay we fell in love with 30 years ago,” Berna said.

Dancers welcome tourists to Boracay.

It’s as if Boracay had Ultherapy.

“But I have always said, this is just a soft opening, the first phase because it has only been six months and it takes more than six months to rehabilitate an island. The second phase is April of next year and the third is December of next year.”

As Berna had pointed out, the beachfront is clean and near pristine because of the strict implementation of the 25-plus-five easement rule.

The pristine beachfront of White Beach after the island’s six-month rehabilitation.

“Napakalinis ng tubig halos wala ng coliform. Makikita mo kung maglalakad ka sa dagat, kahit na malalim na makikita mo ‘yung paa mo dahil ang linis-linis.”

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is deploying 32 environment law enforcers to patrol the island with the help of the police.

For his part, DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu, a former general, said the rehab of Boracay and all the challenges that went into it was like “going into battle.”

Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat.

“We analyzed the situation, surveyed the battlefield and neutralized the problems.” And the victor was the island.

A total of 157 establishments have been given clearance to operate, providing 7,308 rooms. Berna stressed the carrying capacity is 19,000 tourists daily.

As of noontime on opening day, some 1,063 tourists had descended on the line, not counting those from afternoon flights. A total of 15 flights flew in that day.

Boracay in April 2018.

So far, only four kilometers of concrete roads have been completed behind the beachfront and excavations and pipe laying are ubiquitous. Still, amidst the dust and the inconveniences, you see something concrete is happening in Boracay.

Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said P490 million was poured by his department for the construction of roads, bridges and drainage systems for the rehab of the island.

All this was welcomed by Aklan Gov. Joeben Miraflores, who said that with the closure of Boracay, the main anchor of their economy was displaced.

(From left) The author, Yvette Fernandez, Christian Mendieta Valdes, Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat, Happy Ongpauco-Tiu, Raul Manzano and Karen Davila.

“Many of our people were displaced, businesses suffered and the impact on all sectors of the province has been huge. While we continue to deliver social and health services to the Aklanons, we have to put on hold our development projects due to an income loss on Boracay’s closure.

“But that is now behind us. Today, the province of Aklan is proud again of its jewel, Boracay. Sacrifices have been made but everyone will agree that it has been worth it.”

“It was worth all the sacrifices,” agreed Fiona Molina of Boracay Haven, who spoke on behalf of the compliant hotels on the island.

DPWH Secretary Mark Villar.

“Welcome to a better Boracay,” Miraflores added proudly. “A better Boracay, an island truly worthy of its honor as one of the world’s top beach destinations. A better Boracay, an island with its people fully committed to protect its environment. A better Boracay, our own special island, with all stakeholders working together in a spirit of mutual cooperation to preserve the natural beauty our island is famous for.”

“This is a historic day,” said Berna. “And it’s so nice to watch history unfold before the dramatic Boracay sunset.”