The resort island of Boracay will be closed to tourists for six months. President Duterte sees this shutdown as the best solution to address the island’s environmental problems. The closure will start on April 26 to pave way for its rehabilitation, which includes upgrading the sewer lines, restoring the draining system, and inspecting illegal structures in the forest lands and wetlands.
According to the Boracay Foundation, the island stands to lose P56 billion in tourist receipts, based on the 2 million local and foreign tourists who visited Boracay in 2017. This is equivalent to the 20% of the country’s total tourism receipts. “To close the island would be an easy way out and too much to bear for the residents who depend on the island’s tourism for their livelihood.”
Boracay’s population is approximately 40,000, most of whom are dependent on tourism. There are more than 36,000 formal and informal workers on the island. According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Boracay closure will affect at least 17,000 registered workers in Boracay, not including those in the informal sector. However, only 5,000 workers will be covered by emergency employment assistance from DOLE, as that is the only number they can afford. The beneficiaries will be getting the minimum wage rate in the region along with social security benefits. Aside from workers who are living in Boracay, the closure will also hit the labor workforce from nearly provinces such as Cebu, Negros Occidental, and even as far as Manila and other provinces in Luzon.
According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr., establishments in Boracay will be given enough time to prepare for the impending closure. He also assured that the government would implement measures to help those who will be affected by the shutdown.
However, the Boracay Foundation Inc. said that they are confused as no clean and specific guidelines were given after the announcement such as the timeline or rehabilitation plan. As of now, both formal and informal workers, as well as residents of the island are waiting on the guidelines on the closure, while most are scrambling for measures to alleviate the strong impact on the community. For these Boracay stakeholders, they have no idea as to what kind of assistance they may need to compete for.
For example, transport service provider Angelito Bosegro’s main income is based on the number of tourists coming in Boracay. “Anong kakainin namin? Paano ko babayaran yung renta ko? Saan pa ako makakahanap ng trabaho? (What will we eat? How can we pay for rent? Where will I find work?”) Bosegro also adds that there is no assurance there will still be a job to return to six months from now.
Tourists have already been cancelling bookings as well. Since most businesses have recently renewed their permits, business owners will need to clamor to cover such expenses among many other expenditures considered. According to Hotel Sales and Marketing Association president Christine Ibarreta, “some people are cursing us… it’s nasty,” referring to the influx of cancellations on bookings, flights, weddings, and other events. Many bookings were made as far as two years in advance that could have equated to potential losses worth millions of dollars in total. Some cancelled bookings even had non-refundable clauses making cancellations even more difficult to manage.
However, Boracay’s loss seems to be the gain of other tourist destinations. Tourists who were supposed to spend their summer getaways in Boracay will now have to choose other local summer destinations such as Cebu, Davao, or Palawan. Some tourists may even need to consider international destinations such as Phuket, Thailand or Pom Pom Island, Malaysia.
Most of those who will be affected by the closure are now in a state of shock, as many did not see the closure to have come this soon. The closure is already causing panic on the island as people start to scramble for the uncertainty that is yet to come. Boracay needs all the support that it can get as tourism equates to more than just profits for large corporations, but the livelihood for most workers. Hopefully, after the island’s rehabilitation coupled with its residents’ struggle to keep afloat, the closure of this piece of paradise will be all worth it.
