The president predicted that eventually, Boracay – one of the world's best island destinations – would cease to attract tourists.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to close Boracay island if the popular destination’s environmental problems are not resolved within six months.
"I will close Boracay. It is a cesspool," Duterte said. He noted that the sewerage problem in the tourist destination is wreaking havoc on the island's ecosystem.
"You go into the water, it’s smelly. Because of everything that goes out of Boracay...it’s destroying the environment….and creating a disaster," he said.
The president predicted that eventually, Boracay – one of the world's best island destinations – would cease to attract tourists.
He gave environment secretary Roy Cimatu six months to address the problems in Boracay, particularly the non-compliance of business establishments to environmental regulations.
Boracay drew almost 1.7 million tourists January to October 2017, a 14% rise over the previous year.
Unabated development and the lack of adequate sewerage and waste treatment facilities have been blamed for Boracay’s environment woes.
And even as the Philippine government tries to come up with a solution to Boracay’s problem, more developers are investing.
Double Dragon Properties Corp. is planning to build what will be the biggest hotel on Boracay island, the 1,001-room Hotel 101 Resort-Boracay, at the beachfront of Boracay Newcoast.
Boracay Newcoast is a 150-hectare tourism estate envisioned to become the new side of Boracay with its own commercial, retail and boutique hotel districts, residential condominiums, residential villages, hotels and resorts, and golf course.