DOT chief eyes 3 to 4 months of Boracay shutdown

MANILA, Philippines — Despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval to close Boracay for six months, the Department of Tourism head on Wednesday said she is working on finishing the rehabilitation work for Boracay within only three to four months.

Tourism chief Wanda Tulfo-Teo said she is requesting to hasten the rehabilitation in Boracay so that it would reopen sooner than six months.

“That's why I wanted it total closure for us to do it fast. If it’s total closure, no tourist can enter the island so we really have to work fast,” Teo explained in ANC .

Last week, Duterte approved the proposal to shut down Boracay for six months to pave way for the resolution of its environmental problems. The order would take effect by April 26.

Teo is confident that the world-famous island can be reopened before six months. She said this was despite Interior and Local Government chief’s pronouncement that the island needs six months recovery break.

“I think it’s doable if the people in Boracay will cooperate with us,” Teo said in mixed Filipino.

The DOT chief said the inter-agency composed of her agency, DILG and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources personally chose the dry season for the closure because rainy season may hinder the rehabilitation.

On Wednesday, DENR’s Solid Waste Management Division chief Eligio Ildefonso said he also believes the reopening of Boracay can be fastracked. He cited that they conducted a clean-up drive last year and successfully accomplished it for a month.

For the upcoming Boracay closure, Ildefonso said his team already prepared an action plan for it.

 "I can only speak for my team, solid waste, our action plan can really be done even in less than six months," Ildefonso said.