Save islands now

CEBU, Philippines — The Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) wants to convene resort owners in Mactan Island and other tourist destinations in Cebu to discuss measures that can prevent another Boracay situation.

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered Boracay closed for six months starting April 26 to rehabilitate the island.

Since news of Boracay’s closure, more and more tourists have flocked Mactan, registering an increase of 95 percent in arrivals in the last two weeks of April alone.

“In Boracay, I witnessed the prize of human negligence and greed. Instead of pristine beaches and white sands, what you can see now are bags of dirt, piles of pipes for the sewerage, residents’ voluntary demolishing structures within easements. No more tourists, no more business,” Dino said in a statement Sunday.

Dino said he also wants officials of Lapu-Lapu City to join the meeting and plans to invite representatives from other popular destinations like Bantayan Island and Camotes Islands in the north, Moalboal in the west, and Oslob in the south.

Bantayan and Camotes Islands boast of white sand beaches while Moalboal offers diving experiences. Tourists troop to Oslob to experience swimming with whale sharks.

Dino said it is best to be proactive in protecting these destinations.

“Do not wait that Cebu will be the next Boracay if we will not do something about (these) environmental issues… The president was determined in placing Boracay under rehabilitation thus closing it starting April 26. It is not remote that it might happen in Cebu if the circumstances warrant,” he said.

“I’m quite sure the mayors have also imposed policies in their areas of jurisdiction. But we need to formalize it so to create a template in imposing rehabilitation on our coastlines,” he added.

He also wants concerned agencies to be involved, including the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine Reclamation Authority, and the Philippine National Police.

“My office and DENR will coordinate with the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Cebu in laying down parameters in implementing self-rehabilitation effort,” Dino said.

Earlier, DENR-7 formed the Regional Foreshore Area Taskforce (RFATF) directed to conduct inventory and inspection of all establishments along the coastal barangays, particularly in Panglao Island in Bohol and Mactan Island in Cebu.

Deployed teams were tasked to trace resort owners that violate the existing environmental policies and regulations – whether they follow the proper easement and whether they comply with the standards of maintaining a waste treatment facility.

“We should not do a finger-pointing in solving our environmental problems. It is our collective effort to become responsible stewards of God’s creation! We are all guardians of the environment. So that we can still pass on what we have now to the next generations to come,” Dino added.

More to come

Lapu-Lapu City tourism officer Hembler Mendoza said hotel and resort owners anticipate more visitors by May.

"Taas kaayo, and increasing as well. When you say increasing, last two weeks lang, naa nay nag-transfer nga booking nga 500 room nights (accommodation) sa usa ka entity sa Lapu-Lapu lang. Others, they received also staggard arrivals pero niingon sila nga dili pa ni sila mao kay naay group, naay individual," Mendoza said.

The room capacity of hotels and resorts in Lapu-Lapu is reportedly 5,000 per night.

Social events like weddings that were booked in Boracay were transferred to Mactan, Mendoza said,

"Kay dili man dayon (for example) kung close karon, naa dayon sila ugma. No, they have to check their reservations… the entity itself will help them in finding another venue," Mendoza said.

He said the city will leave it to the hotels and resorts to decide whether or not to increase prices.

"Kung naay demand, naa gyud nay increase sa presyo and prerogative man na nila. Kung ilahang patas-on, make sure na makuha sad nila ang ilahang gusto sa (tourist) forecast og occupancy. Kung motaas ka (og presyo) unya wala diay mosulod. It's a win-win situation," Mendoza explained.

Department of Tourism (DOT) – 7 Director Shahlimar Hofer Tamano said they are giving special attention to security, safety, and cleanliness.

DOT reported that in 2017, Lapu-Lapu accommodated 1 million of the 2.9 million tourists in Central Visayas.

"All the activities should be safe. At the end of the day, a happy tourist is the one who comes home, and arrives home safe and sound," he said.

Lapu-Lapu Mayor Paz Radaza, for her part, said: "We are making sure those tourists that will come here in Lapu-Lapu City will have a good time."

She said tourists flock to the city in May because this is the time of year when families can bond before school starts. (FREEMAN)