ROXAS CITY – Debates have sparked anew whether or not the presence of algae on the coastline of world-famous Boracay Island is natural or not.
ALGAL bloom on the white sand beach in Boracay Island on Feb. 19, 2025. (Photo via Ronny Francisco Saron)
The latest debate emerged after photos and videos of the white sand beach in Malay town, Aklan province was covered with algae.
Environmentalist Hermogenes “Herms” Gacho Jr., vice president of the Wildlife Conservationists of Panay, noted that “lumot” (algae) is often a natural occurrence during the dry or summer season in many coastal areas.
But after seeing the photos and videos online, Gacho said it can be more than a natural phenomenon. “Too much algae can indicate an increase of pollution from untreated wastewater,” Gacho said.
This was a similar finding from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in 2017.
The DENR-Western Visayas said that untreated wastewater is one of the factors that trigger the growth of algae.
The agency found out that many establishments on the resort-island are not connected to the Boracay Island Water Co. (BIWC) that treats wastewater before it will be released into the open sea.
In 2018, Boracay was closed to tourists for six months by then President Rodrigo Duterte to reverse environmental degradation.
The sewage system was fixed but Gacho wondered if there are still establishments not connected to the system.
Photos and videos of the algal bloom have circulated online but the DENR remains silent on the issue. The Environmental and Management Bureau (EMB), an attached agency of the DENR, would even release results of the water quality in Boracay.
People in Boracay have reiterated that algae was normal during the summer season. They said algae made the white sand cool even during hot, summer days.