“Boracay was originally home to the Ati tribe. Boracay is part of Aklan Province, which became an independent province on April 25, 1956.
Sofia Gonzales Tirol and her husband Lamberto Hontiveros Tirol, a town judge on nearby Panay island, took ownership of substantial properties on the island around 1900 and planted coconuts, fruit trees, and greenery on the island. Others followed the Tirols, and cultivation and development of the island gradually spread from this initial beginning.
Tourism came to the island beginning in about the 1970s. The movie Too Late the Hero was filmed in 1970 on locations in Boracay and Caticlan. In the 1980s, the island became popular as a budget destination for backpackers, By the 1990s, Boracay’s beaches were being acclaimed as the best in the world. 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."
- Wikipedia
Boracay in the 80’s
There was a joke I heard before that if you do not have a enough money to spend for a vacation in Boracay, you go to Puerto Galera.
The first time I went to Boracay was in the mid 90’s. I remember that the airport lounge was a nipa hut. As in a nipa hut and there was no electricity after sunset. Three friends and I stayed at Pearl of the Pacific and they have about 4 cottages then. I think I’ve been to Boracay around 7 times. Last week was my 4th visit in the last 5 five years. I was a guest speaker of Kidlat Festival (Advertising industry event) and I stayed for 4 nights at the Boracay Regency. I was basically on vacation because I only devoted 50 minutes of my time to my talk as first speaker on the first day of the festival. While I was in Regency, I tried a couple of times to do a leisurely walk but failed because the path to any direction was crowded and the surroundings were not typical of what may be called an island paradise by some. On my last day, I went to the other end all the way to station 1 by tricycle to attend a luncheon at Discovery Shores. The beachfront of Discovery Shores was relatively clear of any crowd and you can basically see the beach because there were no obstructions except coconut trees.
The view at Discovery shores
At Regency Boracay, you can’t even fully appreciate the beach because of tents and huge umbrellas. I was trying to remember why I loved Boracay. The big crowd was okay to me but I think commercialization and greed is making Boracay disappear. Yes the side of Discovery Shores is less crowded but that area is really for the rich who can afford above Php 15,000/night accommodation. The beachfront on that side of the island is wide and clear and because they charge more, they can afford to not have additional tents to serve lunch and dinner for extra profit.
How architecture can change Boracay
The Crowd
By the day-Tents along the beach front changing the beauty of the surroundings
At night
It is also obvious that the island paradise is starting to look like a concrete jungle with several massive structures that look like they should be in the city than beside the beach. And yes, there’s Starbucks, Shakeys and Yellow Cab giving the island more commercial appeal.
Not very good
What happened to Boracay?
“Boracay was originally home to the Ati tribe. Boracay is part of Aklan Province, which became an independent province on April 25, 1956.
Sofia Gonzales Tirol and her husband Lamberto Hontiveros Tirol, a town judge on nearby Panay island, took ownership of substantial properties on the island around 1900 and planted coconuts, fruit trees, and greenery on the island. Others followed the Tirols, and cultivation and development of the island gradually spread from this initial beginning.
Tourism came to the island beginning in about the 1970s. The movie Too Late the Hero was filmed in 1970 on locations in Boracay and Caticlan. In the 1980s, the island became popular as a budget destination for backpackers, By the 1990s, Boracay’s beaches were being acclaimed as the best in the world. 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."
- Wikipedia
Boracay in the 80’s
There was a joke I heard before that if you do not have a enough money to spend for a vacation in Boracay, you go to Puerto Galera.
The first time I went to Boracay was in the mid 90’s. I remember that the airport lounge was a nipa hut. As in a nipa hut and there was no electricity after sunset. Three friends and I stayed at Pearl of the Pacific and they have about 4 cottages then. I think I’ve been to Boracay around 7 times. Last week was my 4th visit in the last 5 five years. I was a guest speaker of Kidlat Festival (Advertising industry event) and I stayed for 4 nights at the Boracay Regency. I was basically on vacation because I only devoted 50 minutes of my time to my talk as first speaker on the first day of the festival. While I was in Regency, I tried a couple of times to do a leisurely walk but failed because the path to any direction was crowded and the surroundings were not typical of what may be called an island paradise by some. On my last day, I went to the other end all the way to station 1 by tricycle to attend a luncheon at Discovery Shores. The beachfront of Discovery Shores was relatively clear of any crowd and you can basically see the beach because there were no obstructions except coconut trees.
The view at Discovery shores
At Regency Boracay, you can’t even fully appreciate the beach because of tents and huge umbrellas. I was trying to remember why I loved Boracay. The big crowd was okay to me but I think commercialization and greed is making Boracay disappear. Yes the side of Discovery Shores is less crowded but that area is really for the rich who can afford above Php 15,000/night accommodation. The beachfront on that side of the island is wide and clear and because they charge more, they can afford to not have additional tents to serve lunch and dinner for extra profit.
How architecture can change Boracay
The Crowd
By the day-Tents along the beach front changing the beauty of the surroundings
At night
It is also obvious that the island paradise is starting to look like a concrete jungle with several massive structures that look like they should be in the city than beside the beach. And yes, there’s Starbucks, Shakeys and Yellow Cab giving the island more commercial appeal.
Not very good
What happened to Boracay?