THE Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), has warned the local officials of Aklan and the municipal government of Malay, to strictly ensure the daily tourist capacity for the famed Boracay Island, or risk facing disciplinary action.
In a statement dated April 21, 2022, DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año, said his warning was based on “documented violations” of Boracay’s carrying capacity for tourists last Holy Week. He said the concerned local officials should be “ready to receive Show Cause Orders (SCO) due to negligence.”
“Hindi tayo magdadalawang-isip na mag-issue ng SCO sa mga opisyal ng LGU (local government unit) na magsasawalang-bahala sa mga umiiral na kautusan sa isla ng Boracay.
“We cannot go back to square one especially now that we are still in the middle of a pandemic.
“Our efforts to rehabilitate and reverse the ecological degradation of the island will all be futile if we become negligent in complying with the guidelines set by National Government,” Año said.
The national government, on the order of Pres. Duterte, started the rehabilitation work at Boracay, one of the country’s most famous tourist destinations, after noting that neglect by past administrations has turned it into “a cesspool.”
“We must draw the line to ensure that our policies are being complied with on the ground. Kung kailangang mag-issue ng SCO para sa mga paglabag ay iyan po ang gagawin ng aming kagawaran” — DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año.
The rehabilitation, which entails temporarily closing Boracay, started on April 26, 2018 and was declared completed by October of the same year.
A task force, the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) composed of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as chair, with the DILG and the Department of Tourism (DOT) as co-chairs, was created to coordinate and expedite the rehabilitation effort.
The BIATF, after careful study, has set 19,215 as the carrying capacity of the island for tourists to ensure the ecological sustainability of the island.
But in a letter sent by DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat to Año, she said Boracay Island tourist arrivals for Maundy Thursday (April 14) reached 21,252 and 22,519 on Good Friday (April 15), which are way above the island’s limit.
On April 16, 2022, Puyat likewise appealed to Secretary Año and DENR Acting Secretary Jim O. Sampulna, to instigate appropriate actions regarding the violations and urged for strict implementation of preventive measures against COVID-19 that is also a “valuable step in driving a sustainable growth of tourism in the island.”
Año further noted that “failure to comply with the recommended daily threshold may cause environmental risks and may reverse the accomplishments of government in rehabilitating Boracay Island.”
Año, in a memorandum sent to Aklan and Malay officials, said that subsequent violations on the recommended limitation of tourists in Boracay Island could result to the issuance of an SCO from his office, “regardless if the violation is deliberate or not.”
“We must draw the line to ensure that our policies are being complied with on the ground. Kung kailangang mag-issue ng SCO para sa mga paglabag ay iyan po ang gagawin ng aming kagawaran,” Año stressed.
He also rejected the statement of Malay Acting Mayor Frolibar Baustista, describing the over-the-limit tourist arrivals as “normal.”
“Hindi ito normal,” Año, pointed out. “Ito ay paglabag sa umiiral na polisiya. Noong 2018 pa lamang at wala pang pandemya, itinakda na natin kung ano ang kapasidad ng Boracay, kung gaano karami lamang ang puwedeng tanggapin na turista ng isla,” he added.
In the said memorandum, Año also directed the DILG regional offices to closely monitor the compliance of LGUs and to report any violations of tourism-related implementations and COVID-19 policies and protocols.