Where have all the Boracay sandcastles gone?

We caught up with the last days of summer in Boracay last week and it was beautiful! There were no floating seaweeds. You literally swim with schools of fish. Against the searing heat, its cool, powdery sand and crystal clear waters were perfect bliss. We were there May 18 and 19, weekdays. The beach was not teeming with people like what it was when we were there for the wedding of Magdalo officer Armand “Bem” Pontejos and Bamby Frangue from Caluya, Antique last April 29, right after Holy Week. Despite the abuse it has suffered from over and senseless development, Boracay’s natural attributes remain one of the best in the world. Although I miss the quiet and serenity of the rustic Boracay in the early 80’s, I’m fascinated by the bohemian sub-culture that has developed in Boracay, that makes it distinct from other beach resorts in the Philippines. In last week’s visit, we stayed in Sandcastles, Greg and Viveca Hutchinson’s beachfront apartments on Station 2, the best part of Boracay. (Greg is an Australian journalist. He is my co-author of the book “Hot Money, Warm Bodies -The downfall for President Joseph Estrada.) It was a great relief to know that the Hutchinsons’ six- year legal battle over their original resort, just beside the Apartments, was finally over. Iloilo businessman Alfonso Tan bought the leasehold rights and succeeded in ejecting the illegal occupants that caused the Hutchinsons a traumatic experience. “A nightmare,” Viveca said. That story deserves a separate column. The Hutchinsons will continue to run the handsomely- furnished Sandcastles, the Apartments. What I missed in Boracay were the sandcastles, the works of art by Boracay’s beach children that used to be one of the resort’s night attractions. The municipality of Malay, where Boracay is located, is now implementing strictly a 2007 ordinance regulating sandcastle-making on the beaches around the famous island resort. A March 2011 VERA Files article by Ariel Sebellino stated “One reason for the passage of the ordinance was that huge quantities of sand are needed to make big sandcastles that are used as photography backdrops for a fee. The once unregulated commercial activity affected the natural terrain of the beach.” Japan’s NHK TV featured the disappearing sandcastles in Boracay. It’s Manila reporter, Charmaine Deogracias talked with police authorities who drive away the children sandcastle makers from the beach. The police officer said there had been a research conducted by one university that showed that the ground loosens when dug up to build sandcastles. Even when the sandcastles are flattened, the sand formation are never the same again. “The (Boracay) sands are the only attraction here, that is what the tourists come here for. That’s why we are protecting and preserving it.” The ordinance prohibits making of sand sculptures except for promotional or special events with a mayor’s permit. Aside from securing a permit, sandcastles could now only be built six meters “from the edge of the vegetation” and they should not hamper pedestrian flow along the beach. The ordinance provides that a resident who violates any provision of the sandcastle-making ordinance shall be fined P2,500. On the second and subsequent offenses, an additional penalty of 30 days imprisonment shall be imposed depending on the discretion of the court. It is also mandatory now for the proponents to restore the original terrain of the beach by leveling the sand and cleaning the area after the activity, the VERA Files article said. When we were there last April, instead of magnificent castles with intricate towers, we saw some children making ‘sand lanterns’. It’s a ground level lantern design lighted underground. Sand lanterns are included in the prohibition and police would regularly chase the children away from the beach. The police said the municipal government frowned upon the children asking money from the tourists for their sandcastles which took them at least four hours to build. “These kids who are making sandcastles are asking donations from tourists and if they don’t give they force them, so it’s not good. Besides those kids are not originally from here, they came from elsewhere,” the police told NHK TV. He also attributed petty crimes of robbery to sandcastle-making. “ Tourists get robbed by these kids. They’ll entertain them while others snatch their belongings and scamper away.” I remember the kids would put cans for donations beside their sandcastles. I didn’t mind giving something in appreciation for their works of art. It was in the open air, anybody can see it and no one is required to pay. It was purely voluntary. But hotels like the Shangri-La can have sandcastles built for weddings and special events in their exclusive venues. All they have to do is pay the fees charged by the municipal government which I presume they also charge to their guests. Just like in the many issues besetting Boracay, the government seems to have a penchant for coming up with supposed solutions that do not solve the problem.