The Aklan Sangguniang Panlalawigan under the leadership of Vice Governor Gabrielle V. Calizo-Quimpo has strongly protested the statements made by Secretary Alberto Lim of the Department of Tourism to the national and international media considered damaging to Boracay Island in particular and the tourism industry of Aklan in general.
In Aklan SP Resolution No. 2010 – 007, the provincial legislative body stressed that Lim has not assessed the negative impact and implication of his statement to the press which will adversely affect the tourism industry in the country particularly of Aklan and Boracay Island, the statement having come from the highest tourism official of the land. It might be interpreted as gospel truth by the media and spread to the world’s tourism market.
On Friday, July 9, Lim discouraged tourists from coming to Boracay Island telling local and international media, "it was time tourists visited equally beautiful beaches in the country other than Boracay. "If you go to Boracay, you’d love the beach, you’d love the night life and good restaurants, but it’s so dense, it’s so dense, it is now you know, too commercial", he was quoted.
Lim was further quoted by the press that the island of Boracay was a different place a generation ago, the sprawl that followed the tourist dollar caused the seawater off the four-kilometer white sand beachfront to sprout algae which was fed by seepage for sewage of hotels and restaurants.
The DOT secretary also talked of over-development in the resort island of Boracay and the environmental degradation therein brought about by unabated violations of local zoning rules and regulations.
The Aklan SP lectured on Lim saying that had Lim consulted the stakeholders in the island and the residents thereat, he should have known that algae growth in the seawaters of the beachfront is a natural phenomenon even before Boracay became popular as a tourist destination.
The Aklan SP advised the DOT Secretary to channel and rally the resources of his office and all stakeholders in the tourism industry to protect and conserve Boracay, like all other destinations of the country, as the resort island has been continuously raking in dollar receipts for the country. /MP
1 comment:
Like your article. You're written is good to me. Lovely photos. How is your vacation? is it great?
Tanya Gemarin
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