More businesses and establishments in Boracay Island will be “dismantled or destroyed” during the planned 60-day rehabilitation of the world-famous tourist hotspot to allow it to recover from its man-made blight, an official said Saturday.
Epimaco Densing III, Department of the Interior and Local Government assistant secretary for Plans and Programs, said the two-month plan will be presented to President Rodrigo Duterte in a Cabinet meeting on Monday, March 5.
The plan to restore the island to its “pristine condition” was hatched by Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo and DILG officer-in-charge Eduardo Año and would impose a moratorium on the operations of all establishments on Boracay, the Interior assistant secretary added.
President Rodrigo Duterte had ordered the DILG, Department of Tourism and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to solve Boracay’s environmental problems and threatened to close the resort island if these departments fail to clean the tourist hotspot within 60 days.
“There will be a lot of structures, which will be dismantled or destroyed,” Densing said in a news forum in Quezon City.
He also called on resort owners and other business owners in Boracay to cooperate with the rehab plan—which is planned to run from June 1 to July 31, or when the “high season” of summer tourist arrivals on the island passes—once Duterte approves it.
“To the businessmen in Boracay, we plead with you, after the millions and billions you have earned [off the island], to allow us to do this [rehab]. We appeal to your love of country,” Densing said.
“What is 60 days? That’s even calendar days, for us to clean the island, we will not fully close down [Boracay],” he added.
Densing also appealed to the island’s business owners not to “harass” or “bully” authorities who will remove structures that are not compliant with environmental laws by suing them in court.
The government is conducting a demographic study to identify those who would potentially lose their jobs if the 60-day closure pushes through, the DILG official added.
The Duterte administration is allotting “bridge assistance” to those “who will be identified who will not make money” if ever Boracay is closed for rehabilitation, Densing added.