Annual one-month 'healing period' for Boracay pushed

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Sec. Eduardo Año on Friday proposed that Boracay have a month-long rest or healing period for Boracay every year.

According to a report by Joseph Morong in 24 Oras, Año said this will allow Boracay to naturally rehabilitate itself again.

"Just like other beaches in other countries, meron silang tinatawag na rest or healing period," he said.

"Sa atin, I think, one month is good enough. Tapatan natin yung habagat na maulan para magkaroon tayo ng time to rehabilitate again, to let the island have a natural healing," he added.

Businesses agree that Boracay needs rest, but wants to know how it will be implemented.

"It's something that we've been considering from the commerce side because the island really needs to rest. I mean we saw it rest for six months," said Compliant Association of Boracay president Fiona Molina.

"Is it going to be in phases? Or do they want to close perhaps," she added.

Molina also suggested that the rest period be about two weeks instead of a month.

"We were asking for, let's say, how about two weeks sir," she said. —Jessica Bartolome/JST, GMA News