Many years ago, I wrote a news feature article for the Philippine Daily Inquirer about Boracay’s sustainability issues. The story was titled “Boracay: Sun, Sea, and Need for Sustainability.”
At the time the article was published, the beach was still very popular among tourists and the clamor for change was not yet imminent.
Now that Boracay is officially closed for rehabilitation, it feels like a good idea to reminisce about a former era when Boracay was not yet in the news. I had the good fortune of visiting the island before it became famous.
“Ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan.” This is a Filipino proverb that simply highlights the importance of looking back to where everything began so that one may reach his future destination.
Back in the seventies, Boracay was known mostly to locals and its beachfront had not yet gained a good international reputation.
We started out on a rough two-hour trip going to the island. The ride was bumpy and uncomfortable because there were no concrete roads yet. Given the vitality of youth, it was an exciting adventure.
During our recent visit to Boracay, we rode an air-conditioned tourist bus that drove along relatively smooth roads. This was a very different experience from decades past.
When we reached the waters, a banca or small motorboat brought us to Boracay. Back then, there were no cement structures yet unlike today where an established waiting area is available for passengers.
Upon reaching the island, we only saw nipa huts. There were no hotels or restaurants yet. Even electricity was lacking. At night, we went out of the hut, sat on the beach, and used the moon as our light. It was the stuff of dreams one could ever wish for.
Of course, the food and crabs were fresh. I remember seeing crabs the size of an old-fashioned rotary telephone (at least to a child’s eyes and imagination). The last time we visited Boracay, the crabs were still good and delicious but I don’t recall seeing the big ones.
Another memorable sight in Boracay was Puka beach where the pure white sand was powdered with puka shells while bats hovered around the surrounding cliffs. I was told that we were not supposed to keep the shells. At that time, it was just pure white sand beach, with no man-made structures or signs. In fact, we were the only ones visiting the island.
While writing this story, I wondered how Puka beach has fared over the years, if beach goers have overcome the temptation to bring home the shells. In the Philippines, many of these shells have been recreated into jewelry or lanterns that are usually sold to tourists.
As I read recent stories, I discovered that Puka beach is now described as a white sand beach with the abundance of crushed Puka shells.
When I visited decades ago, the beach was littered with whole Puka shells (not crushed). So I guess the desire to turn the shells into personal souvenirs or sellable items was just too great.
During our last visit to the island, the beachfront appeared clean. However, certain areas were similar to a small town, with varied structures all around. Some people would call the modernity unsustainable or classify the place as overdeveloped.
With issues about poor sewage systems and the like, it is a sad reminder of how a naturally rich Philippine environment has been exploited just because there was no adequate planning from the start.
Let’s just hope that new changes coming up will be worth the architectural destruction currently in progress.
