BORACAY ISLAND, AKLAN—A 42-year-old single mother of three has fallen into severe depression after she learned that she would lose her job and her home in the wake of the government’s plan to rehabilitate the island-resort of Boracay.
The woman, whose name was withheld, could no longer work as a masseuse for six months when Boracay is closed down to tourists starting April 26.
She was also bound to lose her house after she was informed that she had to demolish her shanty because it was built on a wetland, according to municipal social welfare and development officer Magdalena Prado.
Social workers had been assisting the woman after she showed signs of severe depression, Prado added.
The woman was brought to the house of her sister on the mainland in Malay town to help her recover, said Prado.
Psycho-social problems
But this would not be an isolated case.
Local officials and government agencies are bracing for psycho-social problems following the loss of employment and livelihood when Boracay Island is shut down to tourism activities to pave the way for the rehabilitation of the island plagued with environmental problems.
Rowen Aguirre, municipal executive assistant for Boracay affairs, said the closure would mean the loss of income or employment of about 36,000 registered and unregistered workers including employees of hotels and resorts, drivers of public utility vehicles and vendors.
Many of the workers are going back to their hometowns and provinces while the island is closed to tourists.
“I have no choice but to go home. I will have no income here,” said Julius Ayalin, a driver of an electric tricycle and a native of Passi City in Iloilo.
Ayalin said he went to Boracay more than a year ago because of the higher income.
He earns about P300 daily driving a tricycle in Passi, much lower than at least P1,000 daily he earned in Boracay.
Financial assistance
Businesses would also suffer losses and the small ones could go bankrupt.
In a report to a conference of government agencies with Boracay residents and business operators on Tuesday, Aguirre said mental health problems, crime and violence, and the number of students dropping out of schools were expected to increase due to the island’s closure.
Employers and workers have earlier lamented the lack of comprehensive and substantial financial assistance to those affected.
Aside from the financial assistance, Aguirre said there was also a need for stress debriefing and counseling for those who would lose their jobs and livelihood.
The Department of Tourism in Western Visayas has scheduled a two-day stress and anger management session with business owners and operators before the shutdown.
Tourism Western Visayas director Helen Catalbas said the session was aimed to help business operators deal with the temporary closure of the island, which she said was necessary to sustain the island’s tourism industry.
Operation center
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Western Visayas has also started helping affected residents and workers of the island.
The DSWD has set up a 24/7 center with social workers at the public plaza of Balabag village.
“Those who are affected by the closure of the island can go to our Operation Center. We have social workers there who are ready to listen and help,” said DSWD Western Visayas director Rebecca Geamala in a statement.
She said the DSWD was still waiting for a validated list of the residents who would be given assistance.
The agency is planning to implement a a cash-for work or food-for-work scheme for residents and workers who would assist in the cleanup and rehabilitation of the island./lb