Tourism, environment bosses discuss Boracay problems

BORACAY ISLAND, Aklan — The tourism and environment secretaries are visiting this island today to meet with officials and community leaders amid continuing environmental concerns plaguing the popular island-resort.

Secretaries Wanda Tulfo-Teo of Tourism  and Roy Cimatu of Environment were set to conduct an aerial inspection of the 1,032-hectare island. They were expected to be accompanied by provincial and municipal officials.

They will meet with government officials and business and civic leaders at the Shangri-La Boracay Resort and Spa late in the morning until early afternoon.

Expected to be discussed in the meeting are the two departments’ plans for the island. Among the key concerns are flooding, infrastructure development and enforcement of environmental laws and regulations.

Tourist arrivals on the island last year reach another record-high reaching 2,001,974. This is 16 percent higher than the 1,725,483 tourists recorded in 2016.

But many residents and tourists have called for regulation of tourism and development activities amid the fragile environmental resources of the island. /cbb