THE HOUSE COMMITTEE on tourism expressed support to the proposed temporary closure of Boracay following its own inquiry into the environmental problems of the popular island destination. In a press briefing Wednesday, March 21, Leyte Representative Lucy T. Gomez, chair of the tourism committee, said her committee’s report “prioritizes a temporary closure of Boracay Island in order to address the high risk issue of discharging untreated waste water into the beach.” Ms. Gomez noted that while the closure would result to a loss of P5 billion in income from tourism, “the Committee put more weight on the long-term viability and sustainability of tourism in Boracay, versus the short-term economic collateral damage that comes with closing its doors to incoming tourists.” — Minde Nyl R. dela Cruz

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