When s*** hits the beach

As far as the number 1 island of Boracay is concerned – shit hit the beach long before it hit the fan in Malacañang. 

It is ironic to consider that the most popular and most promoted tourist destination of the Philippines is also the number one place in terms of violations of laws; beginning from zoning, public health, environmental guidelines, building codes, fire and safety, waste disposal, traffic management, as well as international standards on tourism. Now we have no less than the President comparing the Boracay waterfront as the equivalent of a sewer.

President Duterte deserves praise for publicly recognizing the environmental disaster called Boracay and not even sugar coating the truth that the green algae that comes and goes along its shoreline is fertilized by organic and chemical laden liquid nutrients produced from human waste a.k.a shit and expelled into the ocean or the sandy back lots of Boracay island. The president was so pissed that he has threatened to shut down the place.

Many government officials in the past have tried to correct things on the island but after a few months or years, the sins of Boracay are always forgotten and replaced by more pressing concerns in politics or government affairs. In order to protect Boracay, we must give it a status or classification like the Banawe Rice Terraces or Palawan that will establish by law or presidential decree a governing body that will oversee or manage the affairs of the island as a world tourism destination. This body must be over and above any self -regulating, politicized, lobby-infested organization put up by local representatives. They had their chance, now it’s time the government set up an independent body of experts and professionals to manage the island.

I feel it is unfair to call upon the DENR and Secretary Roy Cimatu to clean up the shit that is primarily the creation and responsibility of the Department of Tourism and the local government that covers Boracay. There is something fundamentally wrong at the Department of Tourism when the President of the Philippines blows a fuse over our number 1 tourism destination, referring to it as the equivalent of a public sewer and the public never even heard a peep or a warning from the DOT about the situation. Then again, many opinion leaders have raised the issue of why the Department of Tourism spends majority of its time, efforts, funds and promotions on already established and tired destinations such as Boracay and not emerging sites that people, mostly foreign tourists and travel bloggers, have been raving about on social media.

I don’t know if it is because of his trust and confidence in Cimatu that President Digong opted to throw the ball over to the DENR Secretary. The problem with this is it gives the impression that the problem in Boracay is “Environmental.” No It Is Not!

The problem in Boracay is all about Greed, Corruption, and absence of judicial accountability and penalty for lawbreakers both for those in government and the business sector. I hold the DOT officials, both past and present guilty of over promoting and not managing the tourism development and operations of Boracay as a major tourism destination of the government. It has always been “Sell – Sell – Sell” Boracay because it’s the easiest and a sure thing. But we never heard of a Master plan actually being followed ”. No one at the DOT or DILG ever dared to call for placing a cap on the number of visitors allowed into Boracay.

The practice of placing a “Cap” on daily visitors to a tourism destination is practiced in order to insure that sites are not overrun or destroyed by too many people, it is done to make sure that the resources or “Carrying capacity” of a destination like Boracay is not exceeded to avoid an overflow of shit, septic tanks, pollution from so many power generators needed to electrify what used to be an island lit by the moon, the stars, fireflies and kerosene lamps. Now there are enough people producing enough shit to power up a gigantic methane gas plant to light up the streets of Boracay! There is simply too many people allowed into Boracay and there is no longer a Peak season and an Off Season. There was a time when the island and its guests would take a break on Sundays, but now its 24/7 – rain or shine! I first learned of the “CAP” in Palawan where they limit the number of guests going into the “Underground River” in Palawan that was strictly enforced by the local Tourism office. The same is in Donsol where caps are implemented to protect the whale sharks.

President Duterte should also organize and send out a hunting party to track down all the local officials from various government agencies who did not do their jobs, allowing clear violations on zoning, building code, fire safety, waste management etc. I already pointed out to Secretary Cimatu last year that so many buildings on Boracay are firetraps, and violate environment regulations. Who approved and signed those plans, clearances and permits? Investigate if buildings designed and built on Boracay were actually done by licensed architects and contractors because several establishments violate the national building code. It is not just an issue of shit and missing septic tanks.

Greed has been the primary motivation for the many sins in Boracay. As such, it makes perfect sense that those who broke the laws should pay through the nose in fines and penalties as well as reduced volume of visitors until such a time when they are compliant and considerate of the environment and public health and safety. In order to do this, the Office of the President should spear head the investigation and review of Boracay and all the establishments on it. Don’t assign it to others because nothing ever came out of it in the past.

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