Boracay tourists soon to pay P50 environmental fee

Boracay Island — Local and foreign tourists in this world-famous destination would have to pay a P50 environmental fee soon after the Aklan provincial board approves on second reading an ordinance imposing it to raise funds for a sanitary landfill.

Rep. Joeben Miraflores, of the lone congressional district of Aklan, told The STAR the other day that the P50 environmental fee may take effect probably this August.

Miraflores said the Aklan provincial government will generate around P28 million based on the 428,000 local and foreign tourists who came to Boracay last year.

In the first quarter of this year alone, Miraflores said tourist arrivals in Boracay reached 201,378 or 47 percent of last year’s total.

"So we expect the tourist arrivals to reach more than the half-million mark by the end of this year," he said.

He said the proceeds of the environmental fee will be more than enough to put up a sanitary landfill in Caticlan where solid wastes and other refuse from Boracay will be transported in barges. 

At present, garbage is disposed of in an open dumpsite at the back of the island. 

"It is a very expensive solid waste disposal system, but (the proceeds of the environmental fee) will be more than enough to operate it," Miraflores said.

The sight of open garbage and the lack of an efficient waste disposal system have been a bane to the tourist destination, aside from a power shortage which causes occasional 24-hour outages.

While increased tourist arrivals are more than welcome, Miraflores, however, admitted that they have also become a major problem for Boracay, especially those whom resort owners tag as "kaldero" tourists.

The term "kaldero" refers to the pots and pans which vacationing families going to Boracay via roll-on, roll-off (ro-ro) ships from Batangas and other Southern Tagalog provinces, use when they camp out on the beaches here instead of staying in resorts.

This is why Boracay resort owners, Miraflores said, charge prohibitive or expensive lodging rates to discourage "poor quality" tourists. 

The cheapest rooms on the island cost as much as P250 per night and the most expensive, $250 per night.

Miraflores said the P50 environmental fee would not be much for the tourists if they can afford such lodging rates.

Miraflores thought of imposing an environmental fee when he served as Aklan governor for three consecutive terms.

Boracay is one of the three barangays of the Aklan town of Malay.