ILOILO CITY — A portion of a posh resort in world-famous Boracay Island was demolished for being located in a non-buildable zone.
The national government’s Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) demolished two villas and a portion of the swimming pool of Monaco Suites de Boracay last week.
BIATF Manager Natividad Bernardino said that Monaco Suites de Boracay’s two villas and the swimming pool violated the beach easement rule as well as it was built on a cliff that is considered a forestland.
“The management has been given notices since 2019 and the owners initially agreed to voluntarily demolish last August. However, they failed to comply. That’s why we had to enforce the demolition,” Bernardino told Manila Bulletin in a phone interview Monday, October 4.
The management and security of Monaco Suites de Boracay’s security and management did not allow the BIATF to enter the premises.
“We had to go through the neighboring resort to be able to implement the demolition,” Bernardino disclosed.
The BIATF has been urging tourism establishments at the country’s most famous beach destination in Malay town, Aklan province to comply with laws.
The demolition of erring structures are part of the national government’s long-term rehabilitation of Boracay, which started in April 2018 when it was temporarily closed to tourists for a six-month period.