Though most people initially shrug it off as a political stunt, the Philippine government’s efforts to rehabilitate Boracay have proved quite successful. Since its soft opening on October 26, 2018, a lot of changes can be clearly seen on the island, with many visitors getting awed and impressed. Thus they say, Wow Pilipinas!
If you’re planning a trip to the New Boracay in the Philippines at some point in the future, below are a few things that will make you fall in love with the place all over again.
Cleaner and Safer Beaches
Despite many sayin that cleaning Boracay is a hopeless project, the government managed to do it during the six-month period when they closed the island off. Today, the New Boracay is cleaner and safer than ever before, with its sewage treatment plants fixed, new waste management regulations and infrastructures installed, and environmentally unhealthy buildings demolished.
More Time with the Island’s Natural Beauty
The New Boracay also saw some of the environmentally unsustainable activities it previously had removed by the government during the rehabilitation project. Remember those fun water sports readily available in the island back then? Well, you’ll have to wait quite a while before you can enjoy any of those again (According to Department of Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, they will resume on December 2019). That’s not exactly a bad thing, though. With the man-made recreational areas gone, you get to enjoy the New Boracay’s restored natural landscape more, especially its white sands, clear waters, and magnificent flora and fauna.
No More Public Smokers and Drinkers
Rules have been passed and enforced as well to ban smoking and drinking in the New Boracay’s public places. Both activities are harmful not only on the island’s environment, but also on its visitors. However, as a concession to many people (perhaps including you), you can still enjoy a smoke or a drink in resorts that will allow it.
There are Less Tourists
But perhaps one of the main reasons you’ll love the New Boracay is that it’s now relatively less crowded. Since they reopened the island, new policies were introduced to limit the number of people visiting there. For instance, there’s now a “no booing, no entry” rule where tourists must have present their hotel booking as soon as they get to the island, complete with verification booths and officials set up in sea docks and airports of both Kalibo and Caticlan.
People Want Boracay Clean Again
As mentioned above, many scoff at the government’s project to rehabilitate Boracay. However, that doesn’t mean the project didn’t have supporters both before and after its implementation. As it turns out, a lot of people are game in restoring Boracay’s natural beauty, and many enterprises are even contributing whatever they could. Cebu Pacific, for example, donated countless trash bins with labels on what the container is for (i.e., paper, plastic, cans, etc.) as well as information on how to properly get rid of garbage.
Come See for Yourself
But don’t take our word for it! If you really want to know and see how much the New Boracay is different and better than the old one, you need to come visit the island yourself.
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