Boracay cracks down on sand art makers

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Since Saturday, the Boracay Tourist Assistance Center (BTAC) has been going around the island to check if sand art makers are authorized to practice their craft of modeling sand into artworks, often a miniature building.

Senior Insp. Jose Mark Anthony Gesulga, BTAC chief, said his office is making the rounds to ensure the implementation of Municipal Ordinance 246, which regulates sand castle making in the beaches around Boracay Island in Malay, Aklan.

“This daily unregulated commercial activity tinkers with the natural terrain of the beach, resulting in prolonged presence of irregular contorts which affect the natural symmetry of the beach,” the ordinance’s rationale stated.

The ordinance, passed back in July 2007, noted that a huge quantity of sand is moved to make huge castles that are used as photography backdrops for a fee.

But under the ordinance, sand castle making for a fee is “strictly prohibited” and violators could be fined P2,500 for the first offense and imprisoned for 30 days on the second.

However, it does allow sand art for promotional and special events and when covered by a mayor’s permit. In this case, sand castle makers are required to pay P100 per square meter per day of the space utilized.

The art should also not remain for longer than five days and not done within the 6-meter stretch from the edge of the vegetation area towards the beach. Art proponents are also required to level the castles and clean up the area.

There are around 10 sand art makers in the island.

“We would be checking if makers have the necessary mayor’s permit,” Gesulga said.

He added that they have received complaints that some makers have been charging tourists for having their pictures taken with the sand castle as backdrop.

“We received reports that some asked P50 per person,” Gesulga claimed.