ZOILO ‘BINGO’ DEJARESCO III l December 22, 2022 l Business Mirror
Since my hometown, Tagbilaran City, is 15 minutes drive from the shorelines of the fabulous Panglao beaches, I had not really visited Boracay for many years now.
Visiting Boracay lately greeted us with a new sense of wonder about how “good can still be better”—and that magic has taken place after the government closed the island for six months and liberated it from “the curse of civilization.”
For a while, greed for profit, sloth and plain unsanitary habits converted into a virtual “cesspool” what was once the “magic of an island” whose long pristine white beach and sparkling blue waters are a balm to a soul especially in the afternoon “sunset” view, a taste of heaven on earth.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte sent his DENR secretary as his cop to clean up the mess. Secretary Roy Cimatu is a former AFP chief of staff, who may be soft-spoken but can be as hard as nails if he wants to. Strong-willed as a bull, and against the wishes and angry resistance of some capitalists and LGU officials in Boracay, the government cleaned up and brought back Boracay to its original splendor.
The sewage and solid waste management were restored and illegal pipes spilling dirty sewage into the seas were cut off. The use of plastic was banned and cleanliness strictly observed on the sand and seas. No more disturbing the sand with crazy sandcastles and stuff, no more peddlers of what-not on the shores, and unsightly massage activities blocking one’s path. No more stray dogs and their unwanted feces and piss.
No more hustlers annoying tourists, no more thugs posing as Good Samaritans.
At least in the Station One area, the best affordable and scenic area, no more people and men and women in various stages of undress—smoking grass, cigars and sniffing shabu. No more loud, irritating music and gyrating folks as if they owned the place.
Most importantly, the heretofore-docked bancas were told to get lost and all establishments were asked to observe the “25 plus 5 meters easement rule” of structures from the shoreline. “Do it yourself or we will demolish you” was the barking order. Some big fish were not spared: national boxer Manny Pacquiao’s resort on an island was closed, and so were the houses of prominent politicians near Diniwid Beach and Station Zero.
The government widened the streets by implementing easement rules for the establishments, and built new pavements for pedestrians. E-trikes, which can carry five people, now practically rule the roads —noiseless, pollutant-free and with courteous drivers with names emblazoned at the back of their tee shirts with registered numbers.
Stations Two and Three are meant to serve specific markets, while Zero is where the super-prime hotels sprawl. Boracay has preserved its diving sites and water sports galore in the open seas. The mountains are still an option to trek. And the subdued relaxing music and dancing all stop at 10 p.m.—the better to sleep earlier or get a hotel massage and get ready for the next active day.
There is a great variety of food and shopping places to choose from. And one walks through Boracay now feeling so safe, clean, and at peace with the world. No overpricing and haggling with creatures with bad intentions.
No wonder, if one visits Boracay today, it will only make one yearn to come back for more. There are just too many other islands to hop, visit and swim. The Caticlan to Boracay transfer is now smooth as silk, unlike before. On the other side of Boracay lies the great New Coast area —planted with many high structures and edifices developed by Megaworld for those who want a detached quiet rest from the bustling Boracay crowd and just descend to the beaches when they feel like it.
Boracay then, Bohol next. This seems to be the anthem in Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco’s model for the Alona Beach area, a similar but shorter stretch of white sand in Panglao, when she visited the place recently. Alona Beach is what Boracay was before the clean-up—a definite eyesore amid an otherwise resplendent beach sand and sea. A huge budget will be set up for this specific purpose.
After Panglao, all other similarly situated tourist beaches in the country should copy many of Boracay’s bold steps to make their island paradise oh-so-inviting to tourists. And then some.
This way we can reclaim our title as a nation with one of the world’s most exciting and cleanest beaches for tourists.
*** Bingo Dejaresco, a former banker, is a financial consultant and media practitioner. He is a Life and media member of Finex. His views here, however, are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of Finex and BusinessMirror. Dejarescobingo@yahoo.com)