A Visayan lawmaker on Monday stressed the need for the government to strictly regulate the development and influx of tourists on some of the country’s major tourism spots such as Boracay to ensure their long-term sustainability.
In filing House Resolution 1087, Samar Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento has urged the House of Representatives’ committee on tourism to conduct an inquiry “into the roadmap, programs, projects and action plans of the Department of Tourism that aim to regulate tourist spots in order to promote sustainability.”
Sarmiento said that while Boracay and other popular tourism destinations in the country are bringing a lot of revenues for the people and the government, there is a need to protect these places from over development and overcapacity which is the main cause of pollution.
As it is, Sarmiento noted that the DOT's thrust only seems to be centered on how to generate tourists but not on how to protect the country's tourist destinations.
He noted that when the members of the House of Representatives embarked on the so-called “Western-Eastern National Highway Expedition” which was a brainchild of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, he said he realized the rapid degradation of Boracay Island which is one of the country's top tourism spots.
“The members of the House have also observed what several news agencies have reported, specifically, that there is an abundance of algal growth which may be related to pollution and the presence of waste matter surrounding the island,” Sarmiento said in his resolution.
Sarmiento expressed concern that overdevelopment and overpopulation is now causing too much stress on Boracay which has attracted 1.7 million visitors in 2016 alone and has long been considered as one of the best islands in the world.
“Several studies have shown the detrimental environmental impacts that tourism has cause Boracay, such as poor water quality, beach erosion, and decrease in coral cover. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources also found out that some areas around Boracay are too dirty to swim on,” Sarmiento’s resolution said.
“The massive influx of tourists and the explosive population growth in the island places it at the risk of destruction. This is highly detrimental as our citizens are reaping numerous benefits from the thriving tourism industry in the area. Moreover, the environmental degradation is a proof of the State’s failure to preserve our natural resources,” Sarmiento added.
Sarmiento said that to save Boracay from turning into a wasteland, there is a need for DOT and the DENR to immediately adopt policies and practices that would stop the island’s rapid environmental decline.
He also stressed the need for Congress to come up with a law that would clearly define policies in managing tourist destinations such as Boracay to promote tourism while ensuring the protection of the environment.
In the case of Boracay, Sarmiento said that the DOT should start setting up specific parameters in terms of capacity and start limiting the number of resorts and inns that are coming out like mushrooms even in interior areas.