A man uses a paddle board as green algae can be seen on the bay of Boracay on April 24, 2018, ahead of its closure. President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the once-idyllic white-sand resort closed to tourists for up to six months from April 26, after describing the country’s top tourist attraction as a “cesspool” tainted by raw sewage. AFP FILE PHOTO / NOEL CELIS
Following the closure of Boracay, the Department of Tourism (DOT) led several volunteers and government employees from different agencies in the first wave of the clean-up drive along the island’s Bulabog beach area.
“The simple acts of throwing your trash properly and picking up rubbish you see goes a long way as we go all-out in rehabilitating Boracay,” DOT Secretary Wanda Teo, who also participated in the event, said.
More than 200 volunteers from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of the Interior and Local Government, National Association of Independent Travel Agencies – Boracay Chapter, Caticlan Airport, and local barangay officials from Barangay Balagbag helped in cleaning a stretch of the island resort.
According to DOT Region VI Director Helen Catalbas, the department is working double time not only for Boracay’s clean-up but also for the other programs that include trainings for tourist guides, tourism police officers and other employees. This will be done during the six-month closure.
These programs are aimed at improving the tourism experience in Boracay, once it opens again. /jpv
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