Philippines temporarily closes popular holiday island to tourists due to pollution

One of Philippines’ most popular tourist destinations will be off-limits to visitors in a few weeks.

The entire island of Boracay will be closed to visitors from Apr. 26, so that it can receive a massive clean-up of dumped sewage and upgrades to its drainage systems, a spokesperson for President Rodrigo Duterte confirmed Thursday. It will be shut for a maximum of six months.

Duterte, who has been criticised for his stance on human rights, had previously described the island as a “cesspool,” and was concerned the island could be turned into a “fishpond or a sewer pool” if its environmental needs weren’t addressed. Read more…

More about Environment, Tourism, Philippines, Pollution, and Rodrigo Duterte