President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the shutdown to start on April 26 for a maximum period of half a year.  Boracay is known as a picture-postcard paradise, but increasing development has resulted in a potential ecological destabilisation, hence the emergency intervention.

Local police, and even possibly the military, will be on hand to prevent all visitor access to the tourist hotspot, in the hope that the island can resolve the current situation it faces, regarding unapproved sewage disposal methods by many local businesses.

Boracay is home to about 1,800 tourism businesses, with small local bars and restaurants as well as a growing number of five star resorts.

There are 18 cruise ships due to visit Boracay this year, carrying over 50,000 passengers.  Some cruise lines are detouring to Manila, or Nha Trang in Vietnam, whilst others are still considering options.

The threat of closure first emerged in February when President Duterte blasted the island’s 500 hotels, restaurants and other businesses, accusing them of dumping sewage directly into the sea and turning it into a “cesspool”.  Allegedly some businesses were using the island’s drainage system to send untreated sewage into its surrounding turquoise waters. Apparently a grand total of 195 businesses, along with more than 4,000 residential customers, are not connected to sewer lines.

Despite the expected uproar, financial assistance has been promised to any residents and businesses affected by the temporary closure, so this, it is hoped, will pacify all concerned parties to at least some degree.

Are you affected by this closure?  Please let me know your thoughts….