More on the Boracay mess

I. BORACAY is suffering from over-development, exacerbated by the free-wheeling granting of construction permits by the local government there. In recent articles coming out in the press, both the DENR and the DOT have pointed their fingers at the local municipality as the main culprit. The DENR and DOT have finally put their collective feet down (finally!) and have called for a moratorium on new construction, but only for six months. II. An effort to police their own ranks is being heralded by the Boracay Chamber of Commerce headed by a good friend and classmate, Charlie Uy, proprietor of the award-winning Patio Pacific resort. They put up a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) with the help of a P2-M grant from the Canadian government agency CIDA and a counterpart P2M from the chamber members. This facility is a positive step towards the solution of the garbage problem in paradise. Charlie Uy says it now earns about P40M a day. III. In a recent visit made by my AIM ’73 class which celebrated its 35th anniversary, I noticed the continued encroachment by various establishments along the treeline. In fact, the original area around Boat Station 1 is probably hopeless since most establishments are practically on the beach itself, and the road straddles the area right behind. IV. The vaunted drainage system being put in place is going nowhere since no one wants the outflow beside his establishment. Thus, over P100M has been spent with no visible results except severe flooding every time it rains. And why not, since the rainwater has no natural outflow courses to follow leading to the sea! V. The airport facility in Caticlan is probably best described as horrendous. Especially with the number of planes and tourists going in and out of the place. Perhaps the DOTC or DOT-PTA could lend a hand instead of pointing fingers at one another? VI. The proposed Master Plan is decades late. But it may as well start now, and hope that the paradise that one expects of Boracay will not become a paradise lost. (With apologies to Milton)