World-famous Boracay was declared safe for swimming as the island resort reopened yesterday for a 10-day test run, almost six months after it was shut down for a massive cleanup. “Boracay is no longer a cesspool but an island whose waters passed the standards fit for swimming,” Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, who heads the Inter-Agency Task Force Boracay, said. Heads of government agencies involved in Boracay’s rehabilitation attended the program dubbed “Aklan Day Salubungan,” ahead of the reopening of the island resort to tourists on Oct. 26.

Rendon, J., Mercurio, R., Talavera, C., & Villanueva, R. (2018, October 16). No longer a cesspool, Boracay now fit for swimming. The philippine Star, p. 4.