Illegal structures demolished along Boracay shoreline

Officials of Malay town in Aklan, which includes the island of Boracay, have ordered the demolition of several structures and huts within the 25-meter "vegetation line" from the shoreline of the world-famous resort island.

Resort owners, for their part, expressed support for the demolition of the illegal structures and even treated the local officials to some refreshments.

According to Nenette Aguirre-Graf, president of Boracay Foundation Inc. (BFI), they are aware of the ordinance that provides for vegetation to grow on the beach and prohibits the construction of buildings and resort facilities on the restricted area.

Graf noted that some resort owners have complained that they were not given due notice by the officials, claiming they were not aware of the ordinance.

"There was no resistance at all, except for one. Most of them complied. Some even offered the local officials coffee," Graf said.

Graf, who owns The Boracay Beach Resort, clarified the local government had served due notice to the resort owners since the demolition was coordinated with the concerned establishments.

Graf claimed the Malay local government had difficulties implementing the ordinance because of the illegal structures that have sprouted on the beaches.

Graf said resort owners themselves volunteered to help the local government demolish the illegal structures.

"It was good that these illegal structures had finally been removed from the beach," she said.

A minor problem erupted though, when lawyer Quirino Marquinez told the ABS-CBN News Channel that resort owners were "opposing‚" the demolition.

Marquinez claimed the BFI and the rest of the establishments in the island resort were "not aware" of the ordinance.

"Of course we knew of the ordinance. We didn’t oppose the demolition," Graf insisted, saying Marquinez "was misrepresenting BFI."