A large number of resort owners – mostly the small ones – managed to get away with non-compliance of environmental requirements in the world-class Boracay island primarily because they are relatives of local officials who allow them to operate in the island. “It is not just the sewer problem, but there are bigger problems. Many business establishments there are run by locals (who) are relatives of local officials in Malay. That is the reason (why they could not prohibit them),” Orlando Sacay, a pioneer of Boracay for several decades, revealed to The STAR.

Porcalla, D. (2018, February 19). 'Boracay resort owners skirt environment compliance through local execs'. The Philippine Star, p. 2.