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Philippines' White Sand Paradise Reopens to Public after Six-month Clean Up

Philippines' White Sand Paradise Reopens to Public after Six-month Clean Up
Boracay Island © Lonely Planet

Boracay island, the Philippines' white sand paradise, was reopened to tourists on Friday after a six-month restoration and rehabilitation.

The white sand idyll was closed to visitors in April after President Rodrigo Duterte called it a "cesspool" tainted by raw sewage flowing from hotels and restaurants straight into the sea.

Boracay, which major tourist magazines consistently rate as among the world's best beaches, measures a mere 1,000 hectares. Yet, it was seeing up to 40,000 sun worshippers at peak times, with tourists spending US$1 billion a year but also leaving mountains of garbage and an overflowing sewer system.

Boracay aerial shot. Image: Aklan/Philippine News Agency
Boracay aerial shot. Image: Aklan/Philippine News Agency

 

"Even if there are many renovations and it's not yet perfect, when you go to the beach you realise that closing it for six months was worth it," said 30-year-old tourist Roan Tadle from Manila to Channel News Asia.

Under the new regime, the beachfront is cleared of the masseuses, vendors, bonfires and even the builders of its famous photo-op sandcastles it was once crowded with.

Buildings were bulldozed and businesses pushed back to create a 30m buffer zone from the waterline.

Boracay Island. Image: CNN Travel
Boracay Island. Image: CNN Travel

 

According to CNN Philippines, a month before the opening, authorities declared Boracay waters safe and clean. Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said that coliform levels at the white beach front and the east side of the island are now far below the maximum tolerable level.

 

New Rules

To prevent a repeat of Boracay's sad state, the government has set new rules for visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of the world-famous tourist attraction.

On any given day, Boracay could accommodate 19,000 visitors. But that will be scaled down to only 6,000 starting the soft opening on October 15, as studies showed Boracay's carrying capacity is only at 6,000.

Image: Channel News Asia
Image: Channel News Asia

All water sports, save for swimming, are also banned for the time being, while Boracay's three casinos have been permanently shut down in line with Duterte's wishes.

Drinking and smoking are banned on the beach and the huge multi-day beach parties dubbed LaBoracay that drew tens of thousands of tourists during the May 1 Labour Day weekend will be a thing of the past.

"I've been talking to the locals. The best thing they told me was this was Boracay 30 years ago," Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo Puyat said to CNN Philippines days before the soft opening.

 

 

Indah Gilang Pusparani

Indah is a researcher at Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan Penelitian dan Pengembangan Daerah Kota Cirebon (Regional Development Planning and Research Agency of Cirebon Municipality). She covers More international relations, tourism, and startups in Southeast Asia region and beyond. Indah graduated from MSc Development Administration and Planning from University College London, United Kingdom in 2015. She finished bachelor degree from International Relations from University of Indonesia in 2014, with two exchange programs in Political Science at National University of Singapore and New Media in Journalism at Ball State University, USA. She was awarded Diplomacy Award at Harvard World Model United Nations and named as Indonesian Gifted Researcher by Australian National University. She is Researcher at Regional Planning Board in Cirebon, West Java. She previously worked as Editor in Bening Communication, the Commonwealth Parliament Association UK, and diplomacy consulting firm Best Delegate LLC in USA. Less
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