Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo issued a statement earlier this week backing President Rodrigo Duterte’s position on resort destination Boracay, with the latter recently threatening to shutdown the island if the ongoing pollution situation is not resolved within six months.

“The massive clean-up of Boracay is a bitter pill that we have to swallow if we were to collectively save and sustain Boracay,” she said.

Since the announcement, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has issued around 300 closure notices to various business establishments; along with 51 violation notices, claiming certain businesses were non-compliant with RA 9275, or the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004.

According to DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu, around 50 to 60 percent of establishments are in compliance with the law, contradicting claims earlier made by Boracay Foundation Incorporated (BFI), which stated, “Most of the island’s business establishments are strictly in compliance.”

The group also referred to the president’s position on the pollution situation as being “misinformed.”/PLL, WDJ