OVER-DEVELOPMENT STRIPS BORACAY'S CULTURAL IDENTITY

By Gil delos Santos

OVER-DEVELOPMENT STRIPS BORACAY'S CULTURAL IDENTITY

For us local Boracaynons, taking over or giving away our cultural spaces to mega corporations and government projects disable us to conduct traditional activites on public spaces that belonged to the community. 

That's how Boracay's cultural identity is lost due to over-development. 

Sa Baryo or Punda (that's how we traditionally call Manocmanoc proper), in my childhood, Manocmanoc Beach was our playground. We used to catch and play with "guyokoy", hermit crabs or "bungog" and "mawik" all day. Swim in the water everyday like it's our own paradise—unbothered, undisturbed. 

In the afternoon, our oldies gather at the shore to wait for Nong Musing and Nong Rudy, our local fisherfolks, to bring fish to the community which at that time "Lambiyong" or "Balangawan" costs 5 pesos per caltex (1 liter tub). 

During the monsoon season, a sandbar is formed near Cagban Beach which we call "Recudo". After the monsoon season the sand moves back to the eastern side of the Manocmanoc Beach near the old cemetery. During low tides, whichever time of the day it comes, the community flocks to the exposed reef to "panginhas" to collect food for the day. There's shellfishes, "lato-lato", "sirini", sea snails like "sikad-sikad", "pasyak", and "manlot" if you get lucky, etc. There's sea cocumbers and other all sort of edibles. 

It's when my skills on catching octopus by hand is honed, my "sagangat" skills is sharpened.

So much beatiful memories.

Today, almost all of those activities are impossible to exercise and experience, the sandbar or Recudo is forever lost, my favorite rock formation is buried by the sand. 

The construction of the two cargo ports prevented the natural sand movements. Daily cargo operations sweep the community away from Manocmanoc Beach plus the community's access to the beach is blocked with Tirol's No Trespassing blockage.

Irreversible environmental damage, unrecoverable cultural activities. 

I've been away for over 2 decades to study and pursue a career abroad. When I came back, hits the new reality.

Progress should not miss balance, environmental limit, and approval of the community. 

Aside from Manocmanoc, there's Punta Bunga Beach which is now taken over by three five star hotels in Yapak. The community in no way has free access to it anymore. 

Fyi — every beach in the Philippines belong to the state except for private islands and beaches under FLA or Foreshore Lease Agreement with DENR's FLAGT which is the case of Punta Bunga Beach in favor of Shangri-la Boracay. 

The Lapus-lapus is another cultural space which the community has a strong affinity with but now inaccessible to the public unless you go through the gate of NewCoast. 

Worst is they even rename it into keyhole for marketing purposes. Kung Boracaynon ka, indi ka maugot? Megaworld don't have a right. They don't own Lapus-lapus. Mangkuta nyo kapitan it Balabag basi sinugtan nya isarado ang public access halin sa may Mount Luho paagto it Lapus-lapus. 

The 17k hotel rooms in the island is dominated by mega corporations and outsiders. Locals are pushed back including the flying foxes and wild monkeys. 

The local government lacked foresight and protection of the island's cultural spaces nor prioritize their own people.

In Tambisaan, you can't snorkel at the fish sanctuary near the Crocodile Island if you don't pay the no-OR 100 pesos. Dahil crocodile ang author it ordinance ordering for the fees. 

The Caticlan-Cagban Waterway is at risk this days on the threat of the bridge.

The Tabon-Manocmanoc Strait is the most fragile of all because of its narrow distance. It is also the fish migration highway. Once the sea floor is heavily altered and disturbed, it would take another million years to get the marine life back to its old form. 

That tiny Manocmanoc cargo port brought great damage to natural sand movements already. Just imagine a massive bridge project between Manocmanoc and Tabon.

It is Boracay's last stronghold.

Let's not allow mega corporations benefit from our own expense. Protect our cultural spaces. Protect Boracay. 

Say #NoToBoracayBridge 🇵🇭

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ADDITIONAL NOTE:

Without entitled opinion and opinion experts, who is in the best position to judge if whether the Boracay bridge project is a go or no go? 

It should be the Boracaynons, the host community — the recipient of the project. 

Smc's proposal is unsolicited. We didn't ask for it. It's not a priority. If we wanted a bridge, we'll build it on our own, not san miguel.