Some citizen and businessmen in Boracay island are worried about the announcement of the Palace that the closure of the said tourist spot might take six months.
According to Department of Interior Local Government (DILG) Assistant Secrary Epimaco Densing, six months is needed to rehabilitate the water and trash problems in Boracay.
He also said that the famous D’Mall in Boracay might face possible demolition because it was built in a wet land.
Tourist are also not allowed to visit Boracay during the closure period.
However, DILG said that the closure duration might be cut by two months if people would volunteer to help the rehabilitation.
“We have to fast track everything and the only way to do this is to ask everybody and all stakeholders to be part of the rehabilitation,” DILG Assistant Secretary Epimaco Densing III said during the press briefing in Malacanang.
He said that they’re receiving volunteers outside Boracay that willing to help to fasten the rehabilitation process of the famous island.
“They want to go to the island and help the rehab process so if everybody comes to the picture we can cut the process up to two months,” Densing said.
A soft opening of Boracay are also possible within four months.
To help the affected people of the closure, the Palace said that the P2 billion calamity funds will go to the 35,000 displaced Boracay workers.
The government was also preparing to file cases against the private individuals that responsible in destroying the island.
Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines might also be deployed in Boracay to help the rehabilitation process.
Department of Tourism is confident that more people would come to Boracay after the rehabilitation.
Source: [1]
