Not only Boracay Island but also Maya Bay will be off limits to visitors this year as officials seek to protect ecosystems crumbling from warming seas and unchecked sprawl, despite the risk to tourism revenues and tens of thousands of jobs. On a visit last month, President Duterte called the island a “cesspool” because of sewage dumped directly into the sea, and warned of a looming environmental disaster with buildings constructed too close to the shore. More than three-quarters of Thailand’s coral reefs have been damaged by rising sea temperatures and unchecked tourism, said Thon, who last week recommended limiting visitors to its 22 marine parks to 6 million a year to enable their recovery.

Chandran, R. (2018, March 29). Island beaches shut down to save fragile ecosystems. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A4.