Is Boracay vanishing?
Malay, Aklan, Philippines -- Next to crimson sunsets kissing the tranquil indigo waters and the iconic Willy’s Rock, giant sandcastles are considered "most photographed" in Boracay Island. The dates etched on them are like “proof of life”—helpful in pictures that brag to friends one’s conquest of the country’s most important beach.
But these colossal palaces conscientiously built daily by locals in exchange for donations from tourists have been outlawed.
"It took a while for locals and tourists to understand the rationale behind the municipal ordinance prohibiting giant sandcastles,” said Elena Brugger, a real estate professional and environmentalist based in the island.
Locals earn a few hundreds of pesos a day for their sandcastles but they disembowel the bosom of the white beach daily for tons of fresh sand needed to build them. This alters the shoreline’s surface and diminishes the sand’s color and powder-like quality, so government prohibited the practice.
But more than the damage caused by sandcastles, a much sinister threat confronts Boracay’s White Beach—one that has an insatiable appetite for land—and in this case—sand.
Crimes against sand
Boracay’s proposed Comprehensive Land Use Plan pushed by former Tourism Secretary Ace Durano has not been approved by local government when it should have prepared the island for the monumental growth it is experiencing today.
Boracay’s proposed Comprehensive Land Use Plan pushed by former Tourism Secretary Ace Durano has not been approved by local government when it should have prepared the island for the monumental growth it is experiencing today.
As a result, structures that violate building guidelines flourish along the beach.
For instance, many resorts disregard the 30-meter easement required between buildings and the shoreline, which should have abated sand erosion and water intrusion.
Building structures “taller than the tallest tree” are also prohibited yet the mid-rise hotels along Boracay’s beachfront blatantly violate this guideline.
Massive clearing of coconut and other coast-growing trees have paved the way for construction.
“Palm trees dampen the wind unlike hard structures such as buildings,” Brugger said. “[Hard surfaces] deflect wind,” she added. Wind transports sand and sediment back to shore.
Exposed to the elements, pipes can easily break and leak waste water into the sea. This could bring about the recurrence of e-coli bacteria contamination, which in 1997 scared tourists away from Boracay’s waters.
Water intrusion is also evident as during typhoons, destructive flooding is experienced in resorts, bars, shops and residences along White Beach as well as houses within Boracay’s cramped inroads.
The hidden costs of booming tourism
The talcum fine sand earned for Boracay the moniker “best beach in the world,” attracting swarms of visitors whose activities have become bane for the sands
The talcum fine sand earned for Boracay the moniker “best beach in the world,” attracting swarms of visitors whose activities have become bane for the sands
The boats that bring tourists had killed corals and reduced coral cover in White Beach to a measly 5 to 25 percent, according to studies by UNESCO, largely due to anchor damage. Tourists that dive, swim or snorkel in reefs also threaten these fragile ecosystems.
According to research presented by Villanoy, reefs and sea grass provide the first line of defense against sand erosion. Without them, sand is easily transported by the back-flow of water.
Seaweeds are also responsible for the propagation of Boracay’s precious white sand. Research by marine scientist Edna Fortes suggests seaweeds help in the formation of coral reefs that are essential in sand and sediment development.
“If we protect our coral reefs which include the sources of sediments for beaches, then, we also protect our beaches and the ecosystem as a whole,” Fortes said.
