By Johnny Dayang
The government’s plan to close Boracay is apparently a wrong move. Obviously, the move is a knee-jerk reaction to the President’s statement calling the island “a cesspool.” If pushed through, it will penalize and displace thousands of peopledependent on tourism-oriented jobs.
The issues affecting the prime tourist spot should be viewed with more circumspection. Any wrong decision to shut down Boracay over an extended period can create ripples that will have serious ramifications on the lives of hapless people.
Truth to tell, the problems now gripping Boracay are largely to blame on national and local government officials, high-stakes investors and big business players who have violated environmental laws and benefitted from the island’s popularity.
The problems also include issues on water and sewerage facilities that, if handed to blue-chip players, can translate to enormous costs for users. Building state-of-the-art water treatment plants and sewerage systems surely spell exorbitant rates, which makes the closure plan even more pro-business.
To put it bluntly, why punish the ordinary folks for the failure of government to execute our laws, and why blame the laborers for the environmental catastrophe the island now faces?
Closing Boracay is an extreme measure. Why should it be adopted when there are other rational options in rehabilitating the island? One such option is to divide the island into sections and rehabilitating it by blocks which will ensure less hassles and create reasonable displacements only.
DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu’s “no pain, no gain” statement is even more unfortunate. It is not only inaccurate; it is decidedly harsh for ordinary folks who had no part in the errors committed by government players and their opportunist big business partners.
A year-long closure of Boracay will not only mean losing tourists to other local and foreign destinations; it also means destroying the socio-economic foundation of local residents. With jobs and livelihood opportunities lost, does the State really believe closing the island will yield good results?
The environmental issues hounding Boracay have certainly worsened over the years but rehabilitating it should be viewed from a rational perspective. Aside from actual well-planned rehabilitation, government officials and big businesses that have openly violated our laws should be penalized and taught proper lessons for their abuse, but the law-abiding and the innocents must be spared.
Closing Boracay as proposed will only benefit big businesses.
