Rogie Ascaño came home from work on Saturday, finding four rooms of his house demolished by a team supervised by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The team also tore down three houses built in a mangrove area in Manoc-Manoc, one of three villages on Boracay Island. “We need to clear the mangrove forests because these structures and those residing here contribute to the water pollution,” said lawyer Richard Favila, head of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office in Boracay.

Burgos, N. P. Jr. (2018, May 14). Boracay houses demolished: Clearing of wetlands in resort island starts as settlers plead for relocation. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A17.