Actor Jericho Rosales said he was “hurt and sad” to see top tourist spot Boracay devastated after being hit by Tropical Depression Urduja.
The island experienced the “worst flooding,” which affected 90 percent of roads, said Malay municipal councilor Nenette Aguirre-Graf.
An unfinished drainage system by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza) has been blamed as one of the causes of the flooding.
Water supply has also been limited or cut off in several parts of the island.
READ: ‘Worst flooding in Boracay’ due to ‘Urduja’ disrupts residents’ lives
Rosales lamented, “We are all guilty at some point” due to ignorance.
“Are we just all about having fun and being irresponsible?”
“Brothers and sisters, please think and educate yourselves about responsible tourism,” he said.
“Help the locals. Educate them too. We can’t just keep inviting people to come here and then that’s it.”
He noted that tourism needed to be future-looking. “What about our kids? The generations after us?”
The nature-loving actor called for preparation. “Is your town/city prepared for tourism? Proper dumpsites? Hospitals? The list goes on. We are killing our own country.”
And it’s not just Boracay: “Scared for the hundreds if not thousands of tourist spots here in our beloved #Pilipinas.”
Rosales has been passionate about conserving the country’s tourist spots and has also called out cases of ocean pollution. /ra
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