THE six-month closure of Boracay Island, Western Visayas' top tourist destination, has taken effect Thursday, April 26.
With this, President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a proclamation placing the tourist site under a state of calamity.
This came three weeks after Duterte approved the recommendation of the inter-agency task force to shut down the operations of establishment owners on the island to pave the way for its rehabilitation.
However, thousands of direct and indirect workers were affected due to its temporary shutdown. Earlier, the National Government assured the displaced workers that financial aid amounting to P2 billion would be released.
The National Government had insisted that the closure is necessary to restore the pristine condition of the island.
During the closure, the task force is expected to upgrade the sewer lines, restore drainage system, and inspect illegal structures in the forest lands and wetlands in Boracay.
The closure will surely open up economic opportunities to its neighboring provinces including Negros Occidental.
This is why local government units in the region are expected to increase its tourist arrivals to cover the losses in terms of tourism receipts in Western Visayas especially now that Boracay was officially closed.
The Department of Tourism in Western Visayas is also confident that the other provinces can compensate the possible decrease of tourist arrivals in the region.
The challenge right now is for the neighboring provinces to boost its tourism sector to give tourists the same experience when they were in Boracay.
A lot can happen in six months. We hope it's for the best.