Portion of Boracay closes for cleanup after defecation reports

The Department of Tourism under Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat would not let this pass.

After the news went viral that a foreign national allegedly let her child defecate on the beach of Boracay’s station 1, social media had a frenzy when it was first posted earlier this week.

Government authorities close part of the famous tourist destination or a 48- to 72-hour cleanup following reports that human waste had fouled its waters, DOT Romulo-Puyat said.

Screen grabbed from ABS-CBN video showing a foreigner letting her child defecate in the shores of Boracay
(photo credit to ABS-CBN)

Puyat said the Boracay Interagency Task force ordered the area cordoned off and banned swimming there. 

Department of Environment and National Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu instructed Boracay Interagency Rehabilitation Group General Manager Natividad Bernardino to locate the tourists in the viral clips and file charges for violating an environment ordinance. 

"Kahit sino man lumabag sa batas, dayuhan man o Pilipino, dapat mahuli, may penalties involved," Sec. Puyat said. 

(Whoever is the violator, whether a foreigner or Filipino, should be accosted, there are penalties involved.)

They have not yet identified the perpetrators in the video and have already asked the help from tour operators in identifying the foreigners in the video.

Bernardino, meanwhile, said that they are trying to locate where the alleged diaper was buried.

"I-restrict muna sa swimming temporarily while we do the cleanup and as we try to trace kung saan nakabaon 'yung diaper (where the diaper was buried). Hinuhukay ngayon 'yung area (we're digging in that area)," said Bernardino.

Bernardino added they would have a meeting with the local government to discuss other ways to prevent similar incidents from happening.

"We are planning to give pamphlets sa airline pa lang (through the airline) on the do's and don'ts sa island lalo na sa tamang pagtatapon ng basura at pagdudumi sa (on the island especially on the proper way to throw garbage and policy against defecation at the) Boracay beach," she said.

They expect Boracay's Station 1 to reopen on Thursday morning.

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Report from  ABS-CBN News