I live only a few hours drive from the world renowned island paradise but I didn’t have a chance to visit until last March when my wife and I have a break (our wedding anniversary). I have heard awesome stories about the place and even when I travel either domestic or international people would ask me if I’ve been to Boracay. I always reply I didn’t have a chance and they would say “you live near the place; you must go and see it.” What a reputation. Well, that was before. Now it still has a good reputation and still popular to local and foreign tourists but has some negative feedback especially for people who have been there before.
With my sister and cousins who have been there many times since the 80’s, we set for a day trip to the island. We reached Catiklan around 10 o’clock and went to the terminal to secure a boat ticket. I wondered when I saw a sign about environmental tax to non-local residence which means if you are not a local resident you are required to pay a tax which would cover for the environmental damage you caused to the island while you are having your holiday or stay there.
Where else on earth can you see that? For as far as I know in the tourism, revenues are brought in the money holiday makers spend on hotels, food and drinks and other services. My cousin told me to see for myself the application of the environmental tax when we get to the island.
When we reached the so called island paradise I was expecting the boat would land near the resorts as most island resorts are expected to be but I was so disappointed when the boat landed in the boat terminal and the resorts are nowhere to be seen. Instead I saw a developing suburban community with more local people than the tourist. I learned later that the reason why boats are not landing in the resort area is that tourist complained that people from the passing boat are spying on them while they are on the beach maybe half naked. Who cares, are they not meant to be when on the beach? As a matter of fact it’s a public place and people in the appropriate place have no right to demand privacy. I would not deal too much about such stuff since it is insignificant. As I see it, it is just a revenue generating aspect that leads to the establishment of the port there in the island.
We hired a vehicle to go about the island and there was more awful experience and sights to see. First the pollution caused by so many unregulated diesel powered vehicles then the dust from so many constructions and sight of a developing slum-like area with so many people. NOT THE KIND OF IMAGE you see in the TV.
HEY, THEY ARE BUILDING A CITY!!!! But it seems like there is no urban planning of any sort. Streets are so narrow and drainage system I think not designed for the expected urban development. The health facility is not upgraded, no building standards especially for the houses and commercial establishments. Such a place when it represents the tourism image of the country, the business sector and government has a very big stake on it. As for the image of the island is concerned, there should be a BUILDING STANDARD unique to the internationally renowned resort which will regulate the kind of buildings that could be built, not just allow anyone to build a nipa hut here and a do-it-yourself house there. The presence of the “squatter area” I think is not isolated.
The worst thing I could say is that the local authority has allowed almost anyone to migrate to the island. Of course people are searching for a better livelihood but it is not the way forward. The balance is tipping towards the destruction of local ecology which has great impact on the environment; local and global. Besides, the greater the population the more complicated it is to manage and that includes health and crime.
How about the tax? Should the local resident be responsible for environmental levy instead of the holiday makers? I understand the economics of the situation when encouragement of local business means some tax exemptions but this is a different scenario. Business would always be there because of the tourism reputation and encouragement in the form of tax exemptions is not necessary. Yes, they should be charged with environmental tax appropriately since they are the ones who exploit the environment not the holiday makers who only stay there for few days.
I still think it is not a brilliant idea to let the locals get away with the responsibility compensating what they have done to the environment.
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