Duterte to return Boracay to residents after cleanup

Duterte to return Boracay to residents after cleanup

President Rodrigo Duterte in a Labor Day speech in Cebu City reiterated the need to clean up Boracay while assuring residents that the resort island would be returned to them after its six-month cleanup.

The world-famous resort island was closed to tourism on April 26 due to environmental pollution caused by sewage mismanagement. The President declared a state of calamity to free up funds for financial assistance to the residents who lost their livelihoods due to the shutdown. Among the government agencies tapped for funding are the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Social Security System (SSS), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).