Boracay is a small island in the central Philippines. It's known for its resorts and beaches.

Along the west coast, White Beach is backed by palm trees, bars and restaurants. On the
east coast, strong winds make Bulabog Beach a hub for water sports. Nearby, the
observation deck on Mount Luho offers panoramic views over the island. Offshore, coral
reefs and shipwrecks are home to diverse marine life.
Area: 10.32 km²
Province: Aklan
Barangays: Balabag; Manoc-Manoc; Yapak
Region: Western Visayas

Apart from its white sand beaches, Boracay is also famous for being one of the world's
top destinations for relaxation. ... Boracay was awarded as the 2012 best island in the
world from the international travel magazine Travel + Leisure.
Ang Boracay ay isang tropikal na pulo na tinatayang matatagpuan 315 km (200 milya) sa
timog ng Maynila at 2 km sa hilaga-kanlurang dulo ng pulo ng Panay sa
Kanlurang Visayas sa Pilipinas. Isa ito sa mga sikat na destinasyon ng mga turista sa
bansa.binubuo ang pulo ng mga barangay ng Manoc-Manoc, Balabag, at Yapak (3 sa 17
barangay na binubuo ng bayan ng Malay), at nasa ilalim ng pamamahala ng Philippine
Tourism Authority (Autoridad ng Turismo sa Pilipinas) na may ugnayan sa Pamahalaang
Panlalawigan ng Aklan.
Ang Boracay ay ang pinakamatanyag na baybayin na dinarayo ng mga turista. Ang
pinakamagandang bahagi sa isla ay ang apat na kilometrong 'White Beach' na ito ang
pinakamagandang baybayin sa buong mundo at nahirang noong 2012 sa Travel + Leisure
Magazine bilang "best island in the world" . Ang nagpapaligid nitong tubig ay mababaw at
ang buhangin ay mas preska at maliwanag sa ibat-ibang baybayin sa kapuluan.
Kategorya: 

 Aklan
 Mga pulo ng Kabisayaan
 Nasa 10.32 sq. kilometro, at ito ay nasa lokasyon ng island- group. At kilala sa region
6 ng pilipinas. 2 km hilagang kanluran ng isla ng panay at may 315 na kilometro sa
timog na kung saan ang isla ng capital city ng manila.
 Bago pa man madiskubre ang isla ng boracay ng mga taga labas ay tahanan na ito ng
mga taong tinatawag na ati, kung saan taga timog kanlurang asia, mga itnikong grupo
na kung saan ang mga espanyol ang unang ngbansag na tawaging mga negrito ang
mga ati o ita.
 Ang ilang negrito ay nagpapakita ng Australian aborigines at mas deritsong kahawig
ng mga taga Africa keysa sa ilang mga taga asian.

 Origin of the name
 Sa salita ng ati nanggaling ang pangalang borac, na ang ibig sabihin ay
cotton na nahahalin tulad sa maputing buhangin, dahil sa ito ay maputi.
Ang ilan nagsasabi naman na ang salitang borac ay isang bubbles at ang
bocay ay maputi, ang sabi nga ng mga matatandang ati sila ay naaaliw sa
maganda at maputing buhangin at tubig na parang bubbles. Ang mga lokal
naman ay tinatawag na boracaynons ang mga nakatira sa boracay.
 Ang kasaysayan ng isla ng boracay.
 Ang mga ati ay nabubuhay sa pangingisda at mga niyog, kamoting kahoy
at sa mga patatas na pananim hangang 1940’s at 1950’s dito sa maliit at
magandang isla. Sa mga panahong yon wala pang elektrisidad o ano pa
mang mga kultura, at mga akritikto sa lugar. Hangang sa ito ay madiskubre
ng mga manglalakbay at ni jens peter isang manunulat at ang isa nitong
libro na isinulat ay ang kasaysayan ng boracay, ayon sa kanyang mga
naisulat pinahiwatig dito ang kagandahan ng isla at tinawag nyang
pinakamagandang isla sa buong asia. At kinuhanan nya ng mga litrato ang
lahat ng kanyang lugar na nagustuhan at ginawan nya ito ng postcard,
kung saan nakadagdag sa pagkikila sa isla ng boracay ganun na din ang
pagunlad nito, ang dating mga manglalakbay lang ng 1980’s ang
nakakaalam ngayon ay isa na itong distinasyon ng mga
torista sa pilipinas.
  

 Torista - Ang pinaka atraksyon.
 Ang pinaka atraksyon sa mga torista ng boracay ay ang maganda at parang powder
nitong buhangin, liban sa maputing mga buhangin ang dagat pa nito ay
nakakahikayat sa kulay nitong berdi at napakalinaw. Ang haba ng tabing dagat ay
umaabot sa 3 – 5 ang kilometro sa kanlurang baybayin.
 Ang paikot na karagatan ng boracay ay napapaluob ng maraming coral reefs at iba’t
ibang lamang dagat. Kahit na ang iba ay kinukuha na ng mga dayuhan at ang ilang
lamang dagat naman ay nasisira sa paggamit ng denamita. Liban sa kabansagan ng
boracay at napupuno ng mga dayuhan meron pa naman itong lugar at ito ang lugar
na talagang makakarelax at may pagsasarinlan.
 Ang boracay ay nahahati sa tatlong pook yapak ang nasa hilagang parti at
balabag sa kalagitnaan at manoc-manoc naman ang sa timog, at itong mga
pook na ito ay napapaluob na ang mga sitio o barangay.
 Interesting caves
 Ang boracay ay my maraming mga kweba tulad ng bat cave, crytal cave at
buslugan cave. Ang mga kweba na ito ay nakalokasyon sa parti ng
yapak.ang kalikugan cave naman ay nakalokasyon sa baling hai at punta
bunga. Marami dito ang malabay , at mga kagubatan.
  
 Pagliliwaliw sa Boracay
 Ito ay nabubuo na ng mga resort at mga nirerekumindang mga hotels para
sa mga torista. Ang boracay ay isang lugar kung saan araw at gabi ay
talagang gugustuhin mong magikot. Sa napakagandang tabing dagat at
ang natural nitong kaakit kaakit na paglubog ng araw. Ang maputing
buhangin ang pinaka sikat at ang napakahalagang bagay ay ang manuod
ng mga naglalaro sa tabing dagat ng volleyball, jogging at mga gumagawa
ng sand castle. Boracay ngayon ay nagbibigay serbisyo sa mga
modernong pasilidad at air conditioned bongalows, mga pamilihan, bars, at
restaurant na sa gabi ay maraming mapagpipilang mga freskang pagkain.
  
  Boracay is a small island in the Philippines 7km long and 1km wide, located
approximately 315 kilometres (196 miles) south of Manila and 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) off
the northwest tip of Panay Island in Western Visayas region of the Philippines.
Boracay has a populace of 32,267 individuals last recorded since February 2016.
Boracay Island and its beaches have received awards from numerous travel
publications and agencies.[Note 1] The island comprises the barangays of Manoc-Manoc,
Balabag, and Yapak in the municipality of Malay, in Aklan Province. The island is
administered by the Boracay Inter-agency Task Force. Apart from its white sand
beaches, Boracay is also famous for being one of the world's top destinations for
relaxation.[11][12] As of 2013 it was emerging among the top destinations for tranquility
and nightlife.[13]
 Boracay was awarded as the 2012 best island in the world from the international travel
magazine Travel + Leisure.[14][15] In 2014, the resort island was at the top of the Best
Islands in the World list published by the international magazine Condé Nast Traveler.
[16]
 In 2016, Boracay headed the magazine's list of Top 10 destinations to watch.[17]
 In April 2018 the Philippine Government decreed a 6-month closure of the island for
tourists to undertake major renovation works, especially of the sewage system, which
had become obsolete and insufficient.[18]. It re-opened in October 2018 with a set of
new rules meant to address a variety of issues. [19][20]

Etymology[edit]
The name Boracay is attributed to different origins. One story says that it is derived from the
local word "borac" which means white cotton with characteristics close to the color and
texture of Boracay's white sugary and powdery sand. [21] Ati tradition states that the name of
the island came from the Inati words "bora," meaning bubbles, and "bocay," meaning white.
[22]
 Yet another version dating back to the Spanish era says the name is derived from "sagay,"
the word for a shell, and "boray," the word for seed. [21]

History[edit]
Pre-colonial period[edit]
Boracay was originally home to the Ati people. Boracay Island was already an inhabited
place before the Spaniards came to the Philippines. It was known to the Iberian conquerors
as Buracay. At the time of contact with the Europeans, Buracay had a population of one
hundred people, who cultivated rice on the island and augmented their income by raising
goats.[23]

Contemporary period[edit]
As an agricultural island[edit]
Boracay is part of Aklan, which became an independent province on April 25, 1956. [24][25][26]
Boracay was largely an agricultural community like other parts of the country. [27] Around 1900
A.D., Sofía Gonzáles Tirol and her husband Lamberto Hontiveros Tirol (a town judge on the
Panay mainland) took ownership of substantial properties on the island. They planted
coconuts, fruit trees and greenery. Others followed the Tirols, and cultivation and
development of the island gradually spread.[28] The production of copra and fishing were
major industries in the island. However, due to over harvesting by fishers and the destruction
of coral reef due to cyanide fishing, the fishing industry saw a decline. By the 1980s, the
price of copra had declined, encouraging tourism as an alternative source of income for the
island.[27]
Influx of tourism (1970s to 1997)[edit]

Foreign tourists in Boracay, 1985.

Tourism came to the island beginning sometime in the 1970s.[29][30] In 1970, the movies Nam's
Angels (released in the U.S. as The Losers) and Too Late the Hero used filming locations on
Boracay and Caticlan.[31] There was an influx of Western tourists after German writer Jens
Peter called it "paradise on Earth" in his book about the Philippines in 1978. [32][33] In the 1980s,
the island became popular as a budget destination for backpackers.[24] By the 1990s,
Boracay's beaches were being acclaimed as the best in the world.[34] However in 1997, the
tourist arrival to the resort island dropped 60 percent due to the increase of coliform
bacteria from poor sewage and septic system of the island. [35]
1997 to 2018[edit]
The conditions of Boracay in 1997 led to the installment of a potable water supply system, a
sewage treatment plant and a solid waste disposal system in Boracay which was operated by
the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA). The environmental concerns persisted due to
noncompliance of numerous business establishments.[35]
Then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared Boracay a Special Tourism Zone in 2005
while in April 2006 she gave the PTA administrative control over the island while mandating
the agency to coordinate with the provincial government of Aklan.[35]
In 2012, the Philippine Department of Tourism reported that Boracay had been named the
world's second best beach after Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands.[36]
2018 closure and rehabilitation[edit]
Main article: 2018 Boracay closure and redevelopment

Due to worsening environmental conditions in Boracay, President Rodrigo Duterte in

February 2018 said he planned to close the resort island, which he described as a
"cesspool", on April 26, 2018, instructing Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy
Cimatu to resolve the issue.[37] In a cabinet meeting, President Duterte approved the full
closure of the island for six months, effective April 26, 2018 to rehabilitate and resolve the
environmental issues surrounding Boracay.[38] On May 30, 2018, President Duterte declared
that he planned to make the entire Boracay a land reform area and wanted to prioritize first
the island's residents.[39][40]
In April of 2018, the Philippine Army's 301st Infantry Brigade confirmed that 200 soldiers
were deployed to Boracay to secure the island during its shutdown starting April 26. [41]
In October 26, 2018, Boracay was re-opened to the public, while a variety of infrastructures
was being built.[42] In April 2019, numerous Chinese-owned businesses were opened in
Boracay,[43] additionally, there are about 300 mainland Chinese citizens.[44] In April of 2019,
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello said that the Department of Labor and Employment has no
control over foreign businesses setting up shop on the island, but that it vows to ensure that
no Chinese national could take jobs fit for Filipinos.[44][45]
Geography[edit]

Location of Boracay in  Aklan  province of Panay Island

Puka Beach on the northern shore of Boracay

Boracay Island is located off the northwest corner of Panay Island, and belongs to
the Western Visayas island-group, or Region VI, of the Philippines. The island is
approximately seven kilometers long, dog-bone shaped with the narrowest spot being less
than one kilometer wide, and has a total land area of 10.32 square kilometers.
South-facing Cagban Beach is located across a small strait from the jetty port at Caticlan on
Panay island, and the Cagban jetty port serves as Boracay's main entry and exit point during
most of the year. When wind and sea conditions dictate, east-facing Tambisaan Beach serves
as an alternative entry and exit point.[46] Boracay's two primary tourism beaches, White Beach
and Bulabog Beach, are located on opposite sides of the island's narrow central area. White
Beach faces westward and Bulabog Beach faces eastward. The island also has several other
beaches.
White Beach, the main tourism beach, is about four kilometers long and is lined with resorts,
hotels, lodging houses, restaurants, and other tourism-related businesses. In the central
portion, for about two kilometers, there is a footpath known as the Beachfront Path
separating the beach itself from the establishments located along it. North and south of the
Beachfront Path, beachfront establishments do literally front along the beach itself. Several
roads and paths connect the Beachfront Path with Boracay's Main Road, a vehicular road
which runs the length of the island. At the extreme northern end of White Beach, a footpath
runs around the headland there and connects White Beach with Diniwid Beach.
Bulabog Beach, across the island from White Beach, is the second most popular tourism
beach on the island and Boracay's main windsurfing and kiteboarding area.
Boracay is divided for land use and conservation purposes into 400 hectares of preserved
forestland and 628.96 hectares of agricultural land.[47][48][49][50][51][52]

Governance[edit]
The whole of Boracay island is under the jurisdiction of the town of Malay of Aklan province.
There are three barangays in Boracay; Balabag, Manoc-Manoc, and Yapak.

Climate[edit]
hideClimate data for Boracay (Malay, Aklan, Aug 2016-Jul 2
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul
29 29 31 33 35 34 33
Average high °C (°F)
(84) (84) (88) (91) (95) (93) (91)
29 28 27 30 32 31 30
Average low °C (°F)
(84) (82) (81) (86) (90) (88) (86)
333 24 59 65 47 209 196
Average rainfall mm (inches)
(13.1) (0.9) (2.3) (2.6) (1.9) (8.2) (7.7)
Average rainy days 31 24 26 15 22 28 26
Source: World Weather Online[53]

Map of Boracay Island.

Weather in Boracay is generally divided into two seasonal weather patterns known locally as
the Amihan and Habagat seasons. In the Visayan language, Amihan means a cool northeast
wind, and Habagat means west or southwest wind; southwest monsoon.[54] The Amihan
season is characterized by moderate temperatures, little or no rainfall, and a prevailing wind
from the northeast. The Habagat season is characterized by hot and humid weather, frequent
heavy rainfall, and a prevailing wind from the west.[55]
On Boracay, the main indicator of the switch between the Amihan and Habagat seasonal
patterns is the switch in wind direction. In most years this transition is abrupt and occurs
overnight. In some years there is a period of perhaps a week or two where the wind will
switch between Amihan and Habagat patterns several times before settling into the pattern
for the new season. As a rule of thumb, Boracay will be in the Amihan weather pattern from
sometime in October to sometime in June and in the Habagat weather pattern for the
remainder of the year.[56]
Daytime temperatures on Boracay generally range from 77–90 °F (25–32 °C) from the
beginning of the Amihan season into February or March, and increase to the 82–100 °F (28–
38 °C) range with the onset of the Habagat season. [57] During Tropical Storm periods,
temperatures can fall below 68 °F (20 °C). Tropical Storms can impact Boracay at any time of
year, but are most likely to be seen during the Habagat season.[58]

Environment[edit]
Fauna[edit]
At least three species of flying foxes has been recorded to inhabit Boracay namely the giant
golden-crowned flying fox (Aceradon jubatus), the giant fruit bat (Pteropus vampyrus), and
the small flying fox (Pteropus hypomelanus). Their population is concentrated on the
northern side of the island in Barangay Yapak where the hunting of bats was made illegal
through a local ordinance.[59]
According to the Coastal Ecosystem Conservation and Adaptive Management (CECAM), a
study led by the Japan International Cooperation Agency conducted from 2010 to 2015 noted
a 70.5 percent decrease of Boracay's coral cover from 1988 to 2011. The study attributed the
worse drop in coral cover from 2008 to 2011 to the 38.4 percent increase of tourist arrivals
combined with poorly monitored snorkeling activity in coral rich areas. [60][61] The Boracay
Foundation Inc. (BFI) made efforts to remedy the situation by launching a "reefurbishment"
program for the corals. In 2017, the BFI claimed the number of corals in Boracay increased
from 15 to 20 percent since 2015 due to its project. [62]

Sanitation[edit]

Algal bloom in Boracay on April 25, 2018, a day prior to the  island's closure

Boracay has been experiencing an increased coliform bacteria population since the 1990s

which contributed to a 60 percent decline in tourist arrivals in 1997. Although a potable water
supply system, a solid waste disposal system, as well as a sewage treatment plant which
began operation in 2003 were installed to remedy the insufficient sewage and septic
conditions in the island, environmental concerns regarding coliform bacteria persisted due
to noncompliance of some business establishments in the island.[35]
In 2004, only 51 percent of hotels and restaurants in Boracay and 25 percent of all
households were connected to the island's central sewage system. In 2005, Boracay was
declared a "special tourism zone". In April 2006, Arroyo gave the PTA administrative control
over Boracay, to be exercised in coordination with the provincial government. In
2009, Boracay Island Water Co. (BIWC), won a contract to improve the supply of potable
water and install an efficient sewerage system.[35]
Boracay has experienced abnormally high algae growth since February 2015, due to sewage
being dumped into the waters surrounding the islands.[35] In early 2018, 50 to 60 percent of all
establishments in Boracay were compliant to the Clean Water Act of 2004 according to
the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.[63]

Tourism[edit]

Local and foreign tourists in White Beach, Boracay with  paraw  sailboats in the background.

A t-shirt shop in Boracay selling hand-made clothing featuring the island.

Partly because of its wind and weather patterns, tourism in Boracay is at its peak during
the amihan season (which starts in September or October and ends sometime in May or
June). During amihan, the prevailing wind blows from the east. Boracay's main tourism area,
White Beach, is on the western side of the island and is sheltered from the wind. During the
Amihan season, the water off White Beach is often glassy-smooth. On the eastern side of the
island, hills on the northern and southern ends of the island channel the Amihan season
wind from the east onshore, onto Bulabog Beach in the central part of the island's eastern
side. This makes the reef-protected waters off that beach relatively safe [64] and ideal for scuba
diving, windsurfing, and kiteboarding / kitesurfing.
In June 2011, it was reported that Megaworld Corporation, a real estate development group
led by Andrew Tan had earmarked PHP20 billion to develop tourism estates "featuring an
integrated, master-planned layout and world-class resort offerings and amenities" in Boracay
and Cavite. The planned Boracay project, Boracay Newcoast, involves four hotels with 1,500
rooms, a plaza and an entertainment center. [65]
Other resorts in Borocay include Discovery Shores, a luxury five-star resort managed by a
Filipino hospitality group called The Discovery Leisure Company Inc. and owned by
Discovery World Corp.[66][67] The building, with 88 suites, a spa, and four restaurants and bars,
[68][69]
 stands at Station One on the White Beach, and has been described as
"more Miami chic than hidden oasis."[70]

Leisure activities[edit]
Leisure activities available on or near Boracay include horseback riding, scuba
diving, diving helmet, snorkeling, windsurfing, kiteboarding, cliff diving, parasailing.
Boracay is the site of an 18-hole par 72 golf course designed by Graham Marsh.[71] In
addition, as of 2010, Boracay has in excess of 350 beach resorts offering more than 2,000
rooms ranging in quality from five-star to budget accommodation.[72] In addition, Boracay
offers a wide range of restaurants, bars, pubs, and nightclubs.

Boracay's Willy's Rock

A landmark natural rock formation, Boracay's Rock, juts prominently directly in front of

Willy's Beach Resort.

Statistics[edit]
According to the Department of Tourism of the Philippines, there was a recorded 1,725,483
visitors to Boracay in 2016. In 2015, there were 250 thousand fewer people who visited the
island. Assuming the average length of stay of tourists to Boracay is three days, there were
14,182 tourists in Boracay daily in 2016, not counting the official population of 33,109.
[73]
 According to Malay municipal records more than two million tourists visited the island in
2017.[63]

Sports[edit]

Kite surfers  in Boracay.

Boracay is one competitive venue for the Asian Windsurfing Tour,[74] with the week-
long Boracay International Funboard Cup competition usually held in January on Bulabog
Beach. In 2010, the event dates are January 25 – 31.[75] CNNGo, a division of CNN focused on
travel/lifestyle/entertainment, selected the Boracay International Funboard Competition on
the weekend of January 22–24 as one of its 52 weekend recommendations for 2010. [76]
Dragon boat races are held annually on Boracay under the auspices of the Philippine Dragon
Boat Federation, with teams coming from around the Philippines and from other Asian
nations to compete. The races usually take place sometime in April or May. The 2012 Boracay
Edition of the PDBF International Club Crew Challenge to is scheduled for April 26–28, 2012.
[77]

The Boracay Open Asian Beach Ultimate Tournament, an ultimate frisbee event, with players
coming from around the Philippines and from other International nations, has been held
annually since 2003, usually in March or April.[78]

Asian Games Centennial Festival[edit]

Boracay was scheduled to host a special multi-sport event in 2013. At its 31st General
Assembly in Macau, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) decided to create the Asian
Games Centennial Festival in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Oriental Games
(later Far Eastern Championship Games).[79] OCA awarded the hosting rights to
the Philippines as it had been the host of the first Far Eastern Championship Games held
in Manila 100 years earlier. The festival was to be held on Boracay in November 2013.
[80]
 However, it had to be rescheduled and relocated because of Typhoon Haiyan, with the
ceremony eventually taking place at the Sofitel Plaza in Manila on January 17, 2014. The 32nd
OCA General Assembly was to be held in conjunction with the games. [81]

Culture[edit]

The Ati community in Boracay.

The first settlers of Boracay were a Negrito people called the Ati, and who spoke a Visayan
language called Inati.[82] Later settlers brought other languages to the island,
including Aklanon (as Boracay is part of Aklan province), Hiligaynon (Ilonggo), Kinaray-
a, Capiznon, other Visayan languages, Filipino, and English.
The well-known Ati-Atihan Festival takes place each January in Kalibo on nearby Panay
Island. A much smaller Ati-Atihan festival is celebrated on Boracay, usually in the second or
third week of January.[citation needed]

Transportation[edit]
The  tricycle functions like taxis and are the primary mode of transportation in Boracay

Boracay island is separated from Panay island by a narrow strait. The island is located
opposite the barangay of Caticlan in the municipality of Malay, Aklan. Transportation across
the strait is provided by boats operating from the Caticlan jetty port. [citation needed] Cagban Port
serves as the primary sea transportation hub for passengers going into Boracay but the
island lacks any formal seaport for cargo transport and waste disposal. Goods are delivered
into Boracay through an informal port near the Cagban Port.[83]
Boracay is served by two airports in Aklan: the Kalibo International Airport and Godofredo P.
Ramos Airport commonly referred to as the Caticlan airport.
The three main modes of transport are via motor-tricycles and electric-tricycles (e-trikes)
along the main road, or by walking along the beaches. Pedicabs, known as sikads, are also
available along the Beachfront Path. Other means of transportation include mountain
bikes, quadbikes and motorbikes, all of which can be rented. It was reported in October of
2018 that the island will see modern jeepneys, solar-powered shuttles, and hop-on hop-off
buses serviced by Grab, and that the Department of Energy will dona.te 200 e-trikes to the
Malay local government under a 1.73 billion peso project funded by the Asian Development
Bank.[84]
The municipal government of Malay is currently encouraging motorcycle operators to
transition to e-trikes in their coordinated efforts to promote environment-friendly public
transportation. Diesel-motor tricycles are expected to be phased out by August 2018

Thank you