IS the Philippine island of Boracay in need of rehabilitation? Absolutely. Visitors, tourists and locals alike who deign to look more closely beyond the island paradise’s still dazzling centrepiece attraction – its 4km, powdery, white-sand shoreline – would not find it hard to spot troubling signs of environmental distress.
While the main beach front remains relatively pristine-looking, especially at low tide when the water recedes to expose a greater expanse on which visitors can enjoy a leisurely walk or marvel at a fantastic sunset, the back portion of the choice establishments lining the shoreline speak of a different reality.