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Recapturing a Paradise Called Boracay
Boracay Island, Philippines - Boracay Island is one of the Philippines' premier tourist destinations. It is best known for its white powder-fine sand beaches and crystal clear waters, earning its status as a tropical island paradise. Aside from its famous beaches, the island also hosts highly productive natural ecosystems including a mangrove forest, coral reefs, seagrass beds, marshland and lagoons. It has evolved from a relatively undeveloped island in the 1960s into an intensively developed, internationally renowned tourism destination today. Since the early 1970s, development has proceeded in an unprecedented manner to cater to the increasing tourist arrivals.
Professor Emeritus Dr. Edgardo Gomez
The rapid development in Boracay has taken its toll on the environment. Signs of environmental degradation are becoming visible — ranging from destruction of coastal habitats and loss of biodiversity to deterioration of nearshore water quality. There is increasing recognition that the complexity of the environmental and management issues confronting the island requires intervention in the form of a management system that addresses the challenges in governance mechanisms and sustainable development of the island. The entry of integrated coastal management (ICM) in Boracay Island was recognized by the key stakeholders and sectors as an innovative approach to addressing the socioeconomic and environmental challenges in a comprehensive and integrated manner.
Through the initiative of Petron Foundation, Inc., and Boracay Foundation Inc. in partnership with the Provincial Government of Aklan, the Municipal Government of Malay, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Region 6, the Community Environment and Natural Resource Office of Boracay, the Marine Science Institute of the University of the Philippines and PEMSEA, a "Scientific Forum and Consultation Workshop for the Sustainable Development of Boracay Islands" was held on 15-16 April 2010 in Boracay Island with the participation of various sectors and stakeholders of the Island. One of the key outputs of the workshop was the establishment of the Boracay Beach Management Program as the priority focus of the Island's ICM program over the next two years. Specific actions and activities that address the major issues and concerns were identified including the roles and responsibilities of the various sectors and agencies of the provincial and municipal governments. A multi-sector Technical Working Group was also established to ensure that the work and financial plans for 2010-2011 will be finalized and implemented.
The commitment of the local government was confirmed by Governor Carlito Marquez when he pledged to match the financial commitment of Petron Foundation to implement the Boracay ICM program. The commitments on the parts of the local government, Petron Foundation and the local stakeholders hold great promise for Boracay Island to recapture the vision as an island paradise for existing and future generations to enjoy.
PEMSEA Transformation Prioritized at the 8th Executive Committee Meeting
