Duterte Orders Full Boracay Closure Starting April 26, 2018
From April 26, 2018, Boracay will be officially closed and tourists will not be allowed to visit this world-famous island destination for at least six months. After some “exhaustive cabinet discussions,” President Rody Duterte approved the recommendation to shut down Boracay as it undergoes a full island rehabilitation procedure to address some environmental issues such as waste management, among many others.
With some foreseeable short-term economic impact of the island closure especially among businesses operating there and locals who rely on tourism for their income and livelihood, the government plans to utilize budgets supposedly allocated to calamity funds, with the help of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), to assist displaced workers.
With the closure happening during the summer holidays (and smacked right before the annual infamous Laboracay/May 1 weekend parties), how will this impact the travel decision patterns of locals and even tourists who are seeking for beach destinations in the country this season? Siargao, Palawan, Bohol, and Cebu might be the next best options. But we do hope these other towns/islands don’t end up having the same fate as what happened to our dear Boracay.
