‘Don’t call Boracay children dugyut”

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

Children are not single out of the bad news stories in Boracay Island.

Sangguniang Bayan members of Malay, Aklan recently lamented the sweeping and negative perception of Boracay children as ‘dugyut’.

‘Dugyut’ or the local term for ‘dirty’ children became a buzzword or laughing stock in social media after they were deliberately stopped by a pollution control officer to play frisbee in the beach. 

Town councilor Maylynn Aguirre-Graf said beaches are considered the playground of kids in Boracay where they find time to play beach volleyball, frisbee, beach soccer and other water sports activities. 

“Why stopped them from playing in the beaches? We even have to encourage them to play. Hindi naman siguro marurumihan o ma-pollute ang ating mga buhangin dahil sa pawis ng mga batang naglalaro,” Graf said in jest during their regular session on November 6. 

“Itong mga batang Boracay ay nagdala ng tagumpay sa Pilipinas tulad ni Christian Tio sa kiteboarding sa Youth Olympics Games sa Argentina. Nakakagulat naman na tawaging dugyut ang mga batang naglalaro sa mga beaches ng Boracay.”

Town councilor Dalidig Sumndad also echoed his sentiments, saying, like him he represented the country in the World Championships of Beach Ultimate Frisbee where they also earned medals. 

“Tawaging kaming mga dugyut, hindi naman siguro tama. Hindi nila kilala ang mga world-class athletes ng Boracay at hindi alam ang nagawa ng mga batang Boracay, tulad namin, na nagdala ng medalya sa larangan ng sports,” he added. 

Acting Malay town vice mayor Natalie Cawaling-Paderes also said “the dugyut call was a sad reality that it happened to Boracay children.”

She hopes acting town mayor Abram Sualog will bring the ‘dugyut’ issue to Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force, maybe, to find a beach area for the children to play in Boracay.