After five long years, a presidential order for its closure and a pandemic, I had set foot again in Boracay, the 19th best beach in the world and Asia’s number one, and yes the travel was a mixture of both nostalgia and excitement as I wanted to see how its rehabilitation during the Duterte administration went through and how the family-oriented branding push by the Department of Tourism (DOT) has transformed the island’s culture and face.

It was in February 2018 when then president Rodrigo Duterte declared Boracay as a cesspool and after a series of warnings eventually ordered its closure. That order resulted in both a legacy and failure of Duterte’s presidency. Legacy in the sense of having ordered the closure of big businesses and resorts who did not actually follow the necessary building requirements that would ensure the protection of seawater from human waste contamination and having built a wider concrete road with provisions for paved walkways for tourists and the residents. No other president has ever initiated such action.

It’s also a failure. Little did we know, the order of Duterte comes with a package. His cronies and Chinese friends would have built a casino in the island, the family of Senator Cynthia Villar pushed the construction of Costa Vista Condominiums atop a leveled-mountain that actually resulted to the destruction of several natural habitats in the area and the attempt to create the BIDA or Boracay Island Development Authority which seeks to take over Boracay from Malay. The promoters of BIDA include Representatives Ted Haresco and Carlito Marquez of Aklan actually never made any public announcements opposing its creation and of course the then presidential son, Representative Polong Duterte. Only Villar was able to continue her interest as she has successfully shifted her loyalty to the current administration.

But I will leave the prior issues at that. I would like to focus my discussion on the state of rehabilitation that Duterte started and how the provincial and municipal governments of Aklan and Malay continued or perhaps discontinued it. Let’s start with the national road leading to Malay proper. Nothing has changed actually. In fact, the road encroachment of several commercial establishments has continued and worsened. There are no traces of attempts by the local government of Malay to improve it or even just put some greens along the way. It’s all dust until you reach the Caticlan Jetty Port which now looks dilapidated and outdated. I can only wonder where all the kind of fees every tourist pays go.

Entering the island, the road is wider but moving forward the tourist areas, the bricks installed on the walkways are not maintained. I remember my friend Department of Public Works and Highways Assistant Regional Director Al Fruto telling me that greens were planted along the walkways to add more beauty to the rehabilitated road. Unfortunately, the poor plants were left unattended. They are drying up. Perhaps, Malay Mayor Frolibar Bautista is waiting for God to water the plants.

Along the beaches, sewage pipes are becoming visible. These are eyesores and the reason why Duterte then ordered the rehabilitation of the island.

I personally don’t know who will manage these concerns. I know it’s the local government of Malay. But perhaps they are too busy collecting taxes from the businesses in the island that they have overlooked the island itself and missed their responsibilities in maintaining it. That’s why BIDA was proposed then. But BIDA has a sinister desire to control the island for the interest of the few. Or perhaps Malay has simply voted inutile officials who only wish to hear the people call them honorable but are not acting as one. Mayor Bautista has failed to act as one.

It’s only a matter of time and Boracay will return to its being a cesspool.