dailypedia
Boracay is well-known for its distinctive powdery white-sand beaches which are the product of the unique ecosystem dynamics of the area.
The island itself is known to come from the uplifted remnants of an ancient reef platform. Its beaches, the sandy land strip between the water and the area currently occupied by numerous establishments, is the primary draw for domestic and international tourists for its color, texture and other unique characteristics.
Needless to state, it is the premier domestic and international tourist destination in the Philippines.
This is how Boracay Foundation, Inc. describe the tropical beautiful paradise located in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines.
The main question is, “how is it today?” Pictures of excessive growth of algal blooms in Boracay island have surfaced online.
Depicting photos of its lost beauty cry out public to demand for reviewing Environmental Impact Assessment.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a “process that involves predicting and evaluating the likely impacts of a project (including cumulative impacts) on the environment during construction, commissioning, operation and abandonment. It also includes designing appropriate preventive, mitigating and enhancement measures addressing these consequences to protect the environment and the community’s welfare”.
In short, EIA is a thorough research that will measure if a designed project, once implemented, will give a balance approach in uprising socio-economic development and environmental protection for the benefit of present and future generations.
Algae are natural organisms that bloom in fresh and marine water but rapid increase may bring harm among the people and the wildlife. People say algal blooms attack on February and leave the bodies of water by May. Yes, it leaves but the point is, it comes back every now and then. Every time it shows, it puts the life at stake
Netizens give their fair share comments about scummy photos.
According to U.S Environmental Protection Agency, algal blooms have severe impacts on human health, aquatic ecosystems and the economy.
Harmful algal blooms can produce extremely dangerous toxins that can sicken or kill people and animals. It can create dead zones in the water, raise treatment costs for drinking water and affect businesses that are dependent on its crytal clear water.
But what causes harmful algal blooms? Sunlight, slow-moving water and nutrients (nitorgen and phosphorus) comprise the green mushy water.
Nutrient pollution from human activities like excess fertilizer applied to crops, soil erosion, improper septic systems make the problem worse, leading to more severe blooms that occur more often.
The island welcomes large influx of tourists every summer. Tourists, on the other hand, can enjoy and relax navigating the place yet they must have a stronghold awareness to maintain the natural beauty and ecological balance of what it was before.
Do not say goodbye Boracay if we still can make it the way it looks before. Writing this article doesn’t put the place on shame but awareness is the key aggregator to make things possible, act while it’s possible.
w3w pangit
The algae problem at White Beach has always been there. It coincides with the amihan. When the habagat comes in May, it grinds up the algae and washes it away. Ironically, the algae is at its worst during the summer peak season. It’s just a natural, albeit unpleasant, phenomenon. I don’t know if the pollution from all the development has exacerbated the problem. What I do know is that the ground water was no longer potable by the early 80s. A friend took samples from all the artesian wells on White Beach and had them tested in Iloilo. All of them were unfit for human consumption. In other words, do not drink anything in Boracay that doesn’t come out of a sealed container.