Closure will facilitate island rehabilitation, Teo says
(Eagle News) — Some Cabinet officials are pushing for the total closure of business establishments in Boracay for 60 days.
Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo said she and Eduardo Año had discussed closing down the same from June 1 to July 31 to facilitate the rehabilitation of the island.
President Rodrigo Duterte, who has called the island a “cesspool,” has given the two officials and Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu six months to complete the rehabilitation.
“It’s total closure … because we have to repair the roads, drainage. And the demolition (of structures within the 30-meter easement zone) might be dangerous to tourists,” Teo said.
According to Teo, during that time, tourist arrivals were down because of the rainy season.
Even if some have booked reservations for the period, she said they could be diverted to other destinations such as Bacolod, Iloilo, Palawan, Davao, among others.
“This is not forever. This is to fix Boracay. Eventually, they can go back. I tell you it will triple tourism in Boracay after this,” Teo said.