Asian people are the biggest recyclers of plastic bags. So when you see a turtle choking, don’t look at us. All of our plastic bags are in the cabinet under the sink. ???♂️
— Indian Stats (@Indian_stats) October 29, 2018
Okay, but for real: Boracay was a victim of irresponsible waste disposal for ages until Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte called for the “cesspool” to be shut down earlier this year for major clean-up efforts. Now, the beautiful island is back in business, refreshed and rejuvenated, ready to take on tourists – but only 6,000 of them at a time.
Make a line, folks
As part of the effort to prevent Boracay from becoming congested again, The Sun reports, around 6,000 visitors will be allowed on the island each day, and they will be asked to sign an oath to follow the new rules (how official!). This is a huge contrast to the 60,000 to 70,000 people the island would receive during party season in the past.
New rules, new Boracay
Smoking and drinking in public are now prohibited in public areas and on the beaches on Boracay. Wild parties are also a no-no, so forget about Laboracay. Given how the island had been something like the capital of beach parties in the region, this new ban will definitely change why people visit Boracay – though we don’t see anything wrong with turning the place into a relaxing getaway.
Read also: 6 reasons you should travel to the Philippines next
What happened to the hotels and local businesses?
The Guardian reports that a good 30m business-free buffer zone from the sea has been created, which means that any buildings, vendors, bonfires and the like have been demolished or pushed back. Other accommodation and F&B establishments that did not meet the local environmental regulations have been closed, and all casinos on the island have also been shuttered permanently.
What about swimming?
Yes you can swim in the sea, but water sports are temporarily still banned while marine biologists carry out an assessment of the surrounding underwater ecosystem.
Before you go
Plastic pollution is plaguing the world we live in, and we’re not really looking at a bright future if we stay on this trajectory. Do your part: don’t litter, recycle, try to be as zero waste as possible, and check out our Seabin project, which we think will do tons for keeping plastic out of the ocean, if implemented on a bigger scale. Watch this video for an alarming a nice nutshell explanation on plastic pollution.
Read also: Scientists have found microplastics in our poop
