The island of Boracay has been in the news recently – and for all the wrong reasons. Facing a mandate from President Duterte to shut down as of April 26, 2018, the island will be closed for six months (or longer), in which time environmental and conservation issues are to be addressed.
Often lost in the conversation about Boracay's closure is the plight of the 26,000 permanent or permanent or long-time inhabitants, as well as many more who commute there by ferry every day to work. In order to respect and honor them, as well as the island's native heritage, I wanted to share a brief history of Boracay:
Today, we know Boracay as the most popular tourist destination in the Philippines, with frequent mention in international media as one of the best islands in the world.
Often lost in the conversation about Boracay's closure is the plight of the 26,000 permanent or permanent or long-time inhabitants, as well as many more who commute there by ferry every day to work. In order to respect and honor them, as well as the island's native heritage, I wanted to share a brief history of Boracay:
Today, we know Boracay as the most popular tourist destination in the Philippines, with frequent mention in international media as one of the best islands in the world.
But centuries before it was a hotspot for sun worshippers, the island was home to about 100 indigenous Ati people who spoke a Visayan language called Inati. They fished, grew rice, corn, and coconuts, and raised goats, living harmoniously off the land in small communities.
Westerners first stepped foot on Boracay in the 16th century when Spanish explorers came to the Philippines, but it was not home to any Spanish settlements.
Around 1900, Filipinos Lamberto Hontiveros Tirol, a judge from neighboring Panay Island, and his wife, Sofia Gonzales Tirol, gained ownership of a significant portion of the island.
Westerners first stepped foot on Boracay in the 16th century when Spanish explorers came to the Philippines, but it was not home to any Spanish settlements.
Around 1900, Filipinos Lamberto Hontiveros Tirol, a judge from neighboring Panay Island, and his wife, Sofia Gonzales Tirol, gained ownership of a significant portion of the island.
They planted coconuts trees, fruit trees, and other crops. In the early 20th century, the locals would fill up cans of puka shells that washed up in abundance on the north shore, [G9] selling them by the barrel to jewelry makers from Manila and Cebu.
Aklan (encompassing Boracay) officially became a province in 1956, but it took a chance encounter all the way across the globe for the island to really gain prominence.
In 1964, Filipino First Lady Imelda Marcos attended the World Fair in New York City, where she met the famous movie star Elizabeth Taylor and gave her a bracelet of puka shells as a gift.
Aklan (encompassing Boracay) officially became a province in 1956, but it took a chance encounter all the way across the globe for the island to really gain prominence.
In 1964, Filipino First Lady Imelda Marcos attended the World Fair in New York City, where she met the famous movie star Elizabeth Taylor and gave her a bracelet of puka shells as a gift.
Taylor was taken by the beauty of the shells and asked Marcos where they were from. Marcos told her they were from a small island in her home country called Boracay, known for its pristine beach, and the First Lady even invited America's first starlet to visit. Elizabeth Taylor did come to Boracay not long after, and it soon became an idyllic vacation spot for Hollywood's elite.
But mainstream tourism didn’t hit the island until the 1970s, especially after the movie Too Late the Hero starring Michael Cain and Henry Fonda was filmed there.
By the 1980s, Boracay had become a best-kept-secret for intrepid backpackers from Europe and Australia. The island was soon promoted by German backpacker Peter Jens, who turned his wanderlust into the famous Lonely Planet travel guide series.
But mainstream tourism didn’t hit the island until the 1970s, especially after the movie Too Late the Hero starring Michael Cain and Henry Fonda was filmed there.
By the 1980s, Boracay had become a best-kept-secret for intrepid backpackers from Europe and Australia. The island was soon promoted by German backpacker Peter Jens, who turned his wanderlust into the famous Lonely Planet travel guide series.
The 1990s saw a huge jump in tourism, as Boracay became a must-see destination after its beaches were named some of the best in the world. Of course, back then, it was only Station 3 and a lot of fishing boats. (I first visited Boracay in 1999.)
Through the 2000s, Station 2 with its hotels, bars, clubs, and the outdoor D-Mall sprung forth, and the resort-rich Station 1 was developed next.
In 2005, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared Boracay a Special Tourism Zone, and the influx of visitors nearly doubled after that.
On November 8, 2013, Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) slammed into the Philippines, with wind gusts up to 278 km/h (235 mph) and 10-meter (30 foot) sea swells, the strongest typhoon in recorded history ever to make landfall. I happened to be living on Boracay at that time, and the typhoon was heading right for us. Fortunately, the eye of the storm blew south, so Boracay was spared the devastation that afflicted Tacloban and Leyte.
Through the 2000s, Station 2 with its hotels, bars, clubs, and the outdoor D-Mall sprung forth, and the resort-rich Station 1 was developed next.
In 2005, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared Boracay a Special Tourism Zone, and the influx of visitors nearly doubled after that.
On November 8, 2013, Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) slammed into the Philippines, with wind gusts up to 278 km/h (235 mph) and 10-meter (30 foot) sea swells, the strongest typhoon in recorded history ever to make landfall. I happened to be living on Boracay at that time, and the typhoon was heading right for us. Fortunately, the eye of the storm blew south, so Boracay was spared the devastation that afflicted Tacloban and Leyte.
Undeterred, by 2016, there were more than 1.7 million tourists trampling the beaches of Boracay, with the addition of 28,000 visiting by cruise ship. Last year, more than 2 million tourists came to the island (including 375,000 Chinese and 356,000 South Koreans), bringing in more than 56 Billion Pesos in revenue.
What will the future hold for Boracay? No one can be certain, but I only wish that they find the precarious balance between bringing in tourism income and preserving its unique natural beauty.
-Norm :-)
What will the future hold for Boracay? No one can be certain, but I only wish that they find the precarious balance between bringing in tourism income and preserving its unique natural beauty.
-Norm :-)
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