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Tourists board a speedboat near a forestland area on Boracay island in Malay town, Aklan province, central Philippines AFP/Getty Images

'A cesspool': Philippines to close its most popular tourist island for six months

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the shutdown to start on 26 April.

THE PHILIPPINES IS closing its best-known holiday island Boracay to tourists for up to six months over concerns that the once idyllic white-sand resort has become a “cesspool” tainted by dumped sewage, authorities have said.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the shutdown to start on 26 April for a maximum period of half a year, his spokesman Harry Roque said.

“Boracay is known as a paradise in our nation and this temporary closure is (meant) to ensure that the next generations will also experience that,” Roque told reporters.

The decision jeopardises the livelihood of thousands employed as part of a bustling tourist trade on the island that each year serves two million guests and pumps roughly $1 billion (€815.3 million) in revenue into the Philippine economy.

Experts said the measure also appeared to contradict the government’s own pro-development policy for the island, including the recent approval of a planned $500-million (€407.6 million) casino and resort on Boracay.

The threat of closure first emerged in February when Duterte blasted the tiny island’s 500 tourism-related hotels, restaurants and other businesses, accusing them of dumping sewage directly into the sea and turning it into a “cesspool”.

Authorities said that some businesses were using the island’s drainage system to send untreated sewage into its surrounding turquoise waters.

The environment ministry says 195 businesses, along with more than 4,000 residential customers, are not connected to sewer lines.

But within weeks of Duterte lashing out at the local businesses, the Philippines gave the green light for Macau casino giant Galaxy Entertainment to begin construction next year of the casino and resort complex.

‘How will I survive?’

“The casino contradicts all the efforts now of cleaning up and making sure Boracay goes back to the state where it doesn’t violate its carrying capacity,” former Philippine environment undersecretary Antonio La Vina told AFP.

He added that the area has seen “unlimited” development because “local government units and the national government agencies did not do their job of enforcing rules on land use, environmental impact assessment”.

Authorities said they would use the closure to build new sewage and drainage systems, demolish structures built on wetlands and sue officials and businessmen who violated environmental laws.

The impact of the decision was already being felt, with domestic airlines announcing they would scale back the number of flights to the 1,000-hectare (2,470-acre) island.

“I am really in a quandary on how to handle six months (of closure),” budget hostel manager Manuel Raagas told AFP.

“There will be no income and we have bills to pay so I don’t know how I will survive.”

Officials said they were willing to take a hard line, saying police and potentially even soldiers would enforce the closure.

“We will issue guidelines on how to bar tourists from entering starting from the port,” interior assistant secretary Epimaco Densing told reporters on Thursday.

Whether foreign or local, they will not be allowed to enter the island.

The Boracay Foundation Inc, a business association on the island, had asked the government to shut down only those violating environmental laws.

“It’s unfair for compliant establishments to be affected by the closure,” Executive Director Pia Miraflores told AFP.

Miraflores said that even before the ban was announced, its shadow had hit some businesses hard in Boracay.

“The tour guides have already complained that they have no more guests. There’s already a huge effect,” she said, adding the quays and jetties were “less crowded” than before.

Some couples who scheduled their weddings on the island up to a year or two in advance had cancelled their reservations even before the ban was announced, she said, with the tour agents also besieged with client calls on whether to pursue their planned trips.

Boracay employs 17,000 people, as well as 11,000 construction workers working on new projects.

- © AFP 2018

Read: Devotees nail themselves to crosses at annual Good Friday ceremony in Philippines

Read: Over 56,000 people forced to flee as major volcanic eruption continues in the Philippines

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    Mute John O'Reilly
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    Apr 6th 2023, 2:37 PM

    If only FFG politicians were as outraged by real photos of Gardai assisting masked thugs throwing families out on the street as they are fake outraged by a SF politician posting an artwork depicting the same

    466
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    Mute John Mulligan
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    Apr 6th 2023, 4:08 PM

    @John O’Reilly: gardai don’t ‘assist’ in evictions. Their role is to ensure that there is no breach of the peace.
    Sinn fein hates the gardai, something to do with the way they used to stop them robbing banks. They murdered quite a few gardai in their time.

    388
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    Mute Michael Reilly
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    Apr 6th 2023, 4:31 PM

    @John O’Reilly: You might enlighten us where?

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    Mute Mc Comascaigh Paul
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    Apr 7th 2023, 8:25 AM

    @John O’Reilly: where can I find these images of masked thugs evicting families???

    3
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    Mute Gerry Campbell
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    Apr 7th 2023, 9:44 AM

    @John O’Reilly: They are there because they are legally obliged to be there,surely you are not naieve enough to think it’s just random “let’s evict someone today for the crack” so presuming you know that they must be there ,what’s your point/agenda ?

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    Mute camio55
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    Apr 6th 2023, 3:08 PM

    I think SF are the last party in this state that should use history illustrations to embarrass government.

    Their most recent history in support of murder and violence is one they ask all to forget. Would they like those innocent dead to be on posters throughout Ireland.

    374
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    Mute camio55
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    Apr 6th 2023, 7:20 PM

    @Ronan Meagle: No not all, it is too easy to forget when mouthing populous rhetoric the very recent history of SF . They live in a world of denial and hope the population at large will not dwell on their association and support for the phscophatic behavior of the IRA in the not too distant past. The innocent murdered could be with is today except for their actions. That is how recent their actions are in a historical context.

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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Apr 6th 2023, 9:12 PM

    @camio55: The anniversary of the GFA is upon us. Yet the condemnation of one side in the conflict suits the narrative of FFG. Perhaps if successive Irish and British governments had not buried their heads in the sand concerning the apartheid state that existed in the six counties it could have been averted. The shaking of heads concerning Republican violence, yet the British state sponsored violence is glossed over. Hypocrisy at it’s best.

    26
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    Mute Plumbers Dublin
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    Apr 6th 2023, 4:10 PM

    Sinn Fein meekly apologising with their usual sincerity! In regards to Sinn Fein and the eviction ban being lifted, I wish they would stop going on about it. I have the deepest sympathy for those it will affect but I don’t think Sinn Fein understand that we live in a free market economy. If a person works, pays their taxes and decide to spend their money on something that is not illegal it is their own right. Person buys a second house for investment or retirement. This is now their property and as such they should be allowed to do what they like with it when they want. The person may want the house to live in themselves, they may need the money desperately. If the government told you all their was a car shortage and that you could not sell your car in the north of Ireland where you could get twice the money or you had to car share with a neighbour everyone would be outraged. Why, because you bought and paid for it with your hard earned money and should be able to do what you want with it. It is not the landlords fault but with Sinn Fein’s attitude the average landlord just wants to get out because if Sinn Fein get in to power it will be no evictions, lowering of rent prices/rent freezes.

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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Apr 7th 2023, 12:05 AM

    @Plumbers Dublin: Well FFG in power since the foundation of this state have been apologising for the last few years for their inept governance of this state .They are responsible for since the foundation of this state concerning the apartheid state that existed in the six counties. Yet you criticise the people who fought against this system. The hypocrisy is typical of FFG.

    19
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    Mute honey badger
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    Apr 6th 2023, 2:43 PM

    An non-apology. Politicians are great at them.

    179
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    Mute John Mulligan
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    Apr 6th 2023, 4:10 PM

    @honey badger: why pick on Doherty?
    It’s just a house, albeit a huge one.

    22
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    Mute Chris Gaffney
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    Apr 7th 2023, 12:16 AM

    @John Mulligan: Still didn’t hear any meaningful account of the Cabra house either???

    17
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    Mute Richard Starling
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    Apr 6th 2023, 3:14 PM

    I’ll bet he does (not)! Doesn’t Sinn Fein want to disband the garda entirely if they get in power (or did I hear it wrongly)?

    120
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    Mute Brendan O'Brien
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    Apr 6th 2023, 3:30 PM

    @Tommy Berry: They used to refer to them as ‘Free State RUC’. I think it’s safe to say that they don’t like them much. They’re not big fans of our republic either.

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    Mute Richard Starling
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    Apr 6th 2023, 5:36 PM

    @Tommy Berry: Thank you for correcting my misheard information.

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    Mute Richard Starling
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    Apr 6th 2023, 5:39 PM

    @Paul Whitehead: that was uncalled for. All I noted was something that came up and may have misheard. You could have corrected me politely instead of the insulting tone of your statement

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    Mute Chris Gaffney
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    Apr 6th 2023, 9:37 PM

    @Richard Starling: Gardai, landlords, developers, revenue, multi national companies and much more…..God Help Us!!

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    Mute Paul
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    Apr 6th 2023, 6:03 PM

    Given the IRA killing of Gardai, and the visits by SF members to their killers in prison, I’m not at all surprised at the Tweet.
    I wonder if the Army Council had to approve his “apology”.

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    Mute KeithG
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    Apr 6th 2023, 10:56 PM

    @Paul: Ffs.. Any thing new or interesting to add..

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    Mute Tony Harris
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    Apr 6th 2023, 3:00 PM

    In fairness, Simon’s outrage completely took the headlines away from the latest opinion polls! A job well done, Simon. Congratulations

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    Mute Chris Gaffney
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    Apr 6th 2023, 3:36 PM

    He is a total bag of wind!!

    114
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    Mute Michael Keegan
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    Apr 6th 2023, 2:35 PM

    Tone deaf

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    Mute alan
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    Apr 6th 2023, 2:37 PM

    @Michael Keegan: or cat out of the bag.

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    Mute Don Hogan
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    Apr 6th 2023, 9:19 PM

    This guy is unfit for any office and a liar. Ireland deserves better than him.

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    Mute Dev
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    Apr 6th 2023, 4:20 PM

    he definitely nailed the soyboy aesthetic

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    Mute Cobson
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    Apr 6th 2023, 3:36 PM

    new soyjak just dropped

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    Mute Siobhan O'Sullivan Morrin
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    Apr 9th 2023, 4:48 PM

    I don’t know why he should ‘regret’ the posting of this piece of protest artwork.
    I didn’t take it to be a reflection on individual gardai or on the force in general. Rather I saw it as a metaphor of the State forcing people into homelessness. It’s a perfectly valid response to the lifting of the eviction ban and the lack of suitable and affordable alternative accommodation in the private rented sector at the moment.
    And just for the record – I’m not a supporter of Sinn Féin as such (though I have voted for their candidates) but if someone says something that makes sense … … …

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    Mute Proinnsias O'Dubhlaoich
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    Apr 22nd 2023, 8:58 AM

    It’s all hot air about the lack of affordable housing and evictions. Our political class and that includes SF have decided every person rich and poor from around the world can land here legally or illegally and stay, even those who have deliberately destroyed their documents after boarding an aircraft or paid into some scheme to get residency. So I don’t want to hear another bloody word from any politician of their concern about the lack of houses and the homeless Irish unless it’s in the same sentence requesting the arrest and deportation of illegal migrants (who have broken EU/UN rules ). We all know why there is a lack of houses for Irish people or maybe the multi jabbed sheep can’t still don’t get it. Sick of this fake concern from these wretches in the Dail like they don’t know why it’s happening, they’ve caused it.

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    Mute Joe Bergin.
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    Apr 7th 2023, 10:07 AM

    Yeah… I think not.

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