Discover the scary new face of Boracay

Last Sunday at a coffee shop in McKinley Hill, and after I realized that PDI had two different versions of their front page, I was stunned by a particular print ad:

rszDSC_0645adj
The print ad of an impending MEGA development in Boracay. I smudged the developer's logo on purpose.

Instead of being wowed by the mega development trumpeted by this ad, I cringed at the sight of what would be  several multi-storied buildings sprawled across a vast rolling landscape in the already-fragile island of Boracay. And judging by the artist's rendition, these buildings and other structures will be spread throughout several hectares. I really won't write anything more about this development but it's going to be on the eastern side of the island, opposite to where the famed white beach is.

As if this wasn't enough already:

THE RAPE OF BORA (Boracay Island, Philippines)
A aerial shot of a section of Boracay taken on June 2007. Exploitation to the max!

At only 10.32 square kilometers, Boracay is a tiny island. Apart from the smaller-scale properties that keep on mushrooming throughout the White Beach area, larger developments have already made their mark in other areas of the island. And now this. Imagine the stress all this is bringing on the environment.

Don't get me wrong here; I am not totally against any form of development. And it would be utterly hypocritical of me if I say that I don't enjoy a fancy property. However, given the environmental problems already hounding Boracay, shouldn't have the government imposed a moratorium on such projects, at least until all these issues have been properly and thoroughly addressed?

Water, garbage, sewage. And have you ever wondered why there are just so many algae in the waters, especially during summer? From the time I set foot on Boracay up until my last visit, I've noticed how there seems to be more and more of this green stuff every time.

rszdrops2239adj
Algae have become a common sight in the shallower parts of the sea here, especially in the summer.

I don't claim scientific expertise here or anything but don't you think it's a sign that the water is dirty? What do you think these algae feed on? If we simply fish them out of the water and rake them off the shoreline, will it address the problem? Or will we only aggravate the situation by removing nature's natural filters? Enlighten me.

rszdrops2238adj
Wading through these algae can be both tickling and icky. Thankfully they're only in the shallower parts.

All construction projects running amuck make you wonder what the government is doing. Interestingly, there are countless local ordinances in Boracay, some of which are either downright absurd or bordering on such yet problems like this remain unabated. Where exactly do the environmental fees collected from every visitor go? Personally I don't see anything worthwhile made out of them.

I love Boracay. Please...

Comments

  1. Great blog! You're right adding more infrastructures will only add more sewage, garbage, waste and etc. Thus harming the marine life. The last time we went there we stayed at le soleil de boracay. I can really sense that the wastes of all the hotels will cause trouble in the future though I hope not.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FRAGRANCE | Green Cedar EDT by Bench: An environmentally-conscious offering from the Philippines' premier retail brand

Man of style: Steven Tyler