BY MA. ESTHER SALCEDO-POSADAS / Philippine Daily
Some 30 years ago, you could go on a rough two-hour ride going to Boracay and expect to discover a pristine white-sand beach without too much modern amenities like electricity, much less hotel accommodations. It was enough enjoyment and satisfaction to chat over a bonfire or lie down at night by the beach facing the moon and concocting dreams for the future. Afterwards, you could head back for sleep at the nipa hut nearby.
Nowadays, a visit to Boracay Island offers so many attractions apart from the beachfront that you could practically spend your whole vacation at the spa, shopping or eating at the varied restaurants that you may even disregard the sea’s presence.
Besides, so many people walk about the island, at least in certain areas, and privacy can be easily compromised. The Boracay sands’ whiteness has also diminished over the years.
In a July 2010 position paper presented by lawyer Roselle C. Tenefrancia at the World Ecotourism Conference in Malaysia, the case for Boracay’s overdevelopment was explained: “The adverse effects of unplanned mass-tourism development—with the factor of small-scale overdevelopment—have been plaguing the stakeholders of Boracay Island.
Mismanagement, lack of political will, conflicting personal business interests, politicking among the stakeholders, and the complacency of the residents and local communities are among the main causes of the decline of Boracay Island from what used to be a nature-destination and became an island metropolis that resembles a mini-urbanized city.”
The paper further suggested that Boracay is in a state of stagnation and could either go toward decline or rejuvenation—and that focus on small-scale development should be replaced by more large-scale infrastructure efforts.
Aside from ecological considerations, one key issue in the sustainability argument includes the benefits that the surrounding communities derive from business activities in the area.
Tenefrancia suggested that the increase in tourist arrivals did not necessarily translate to better local income. Try looking at it from a layman’s viewpoint. If you were to visit the islands, you could spend some of your money on hotel accommodations or restaurants whose owners or shareholders may be foreigners or Filipinos based elsewhere.
The street peddlers or small business owners may sell a few items like souvenirs, religious images, giant slippers, toys and the like but if you consider the low-value items found at the beachfront, then you surmise that natives may not be earning much, except for a few merchants, or perhaps some of those directly employed by the establishments.
However, there is a need to quantify the direct effect (economic and otherwise) of existing business establishments on the local culture and the surrounding communities.
The island is one of the country’s top tourist destinations. This simply means that we cannot allow Boracay to fail. While it is easy to simply tout the “Buy Local” or “Eco-Tourism” bandwagon, a deeper analysis of long-term consequences and requirements need urgent attention.
Although different sectors have their own approach on how to handle both urban and ecological growth, communication is the first step toward genuine understanding. And mind you, time may be running out. After all, nature waits for no one and speaks on its own accord.
Nowadays, a visit to Boracay Island offers so many attractions apart from the beachfront that you could practically spend your whole vacation at the spa, shopping or eating at the varied restaurants that you may even disregard the sea’s presence.
Besides, so many people walk about the island, at least in certain areas, and privacy can be easily compromised. The Boracay sands’ whiteness has also diminished over the years.
In a July 2010 position paper presented by lawyer Roselle C. Tenefrancia at the World Ecotourism Conference in Malaysia, the case for Boracay’s overdevelopment was explained: “The adverse effects of unplanned mass-tourism development—with the factor of small-scale overdevelopment—have been plaguing the stakeholders of Boracay Island.
Mismanagement, lack of political will, conflicting personal business interests, politicking among the stakeholders, and the complacency of the residents and local communities are among the main causes of the decline of Boracay Island from what used to be a nature-destination and became an island metropolis that resembles a mini-urbanized city.”
The paper further suggested that Boracay is in a state of stagnation and could either go toward decline or rejuvenation—and that focus on small-scale development should be replaced by more large-scale infrastructure efforts.
Aside from ecological considerations, one key issue in the sustainability argument includes the benefits that the surrounding communities derive from business activities in the area.
Tenefrancia suggested that the increase in tourist arrivals did not necessarily translate to better local income. Try looking at it from a layman’s viewpoint. If you were to visit the islands, you could spend some of your money on hotel accommodations or restaurants whose owners or shareholders may be foreigners or Filipinos based elsewhere.
The street peddlers or small business owners may sell a few items like souvenirs, religious images, giant slippers, toys and the like but if you consider the low-value items found at the beachfront, then you surmise that natives may not be earning much, except for a few merchants, or perhaps some of those directly employed by the establishments.
However, there is a need to quantify the direct effect (economic and otherwise) of existing business establishments on the local culture and the surrounding communities.
The island is one of the country’s top tourist destinations. This simply means that we cannot allow Boracay to fail. While it is easy to simply tout the “Buy Local” or “Eco-Tourism” bandwagon, a deeper analysis of long-term consequences and requirements need urgent attention.
Although different sectors have their own approach on how to handle both urban and ecological growth, communication is the first step toward genuine understanding. And mind you, time may be running out. After all, nature waits for no one and speaks on its own accord.
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