EDITOR’S NOTE: LOVE BORACAY: An Island’s Mantra
- 17 hours ago
- 5 min read
In case you haven’t noticed, we began the year with a new look.
Boracay Sun News has refreshed its logo, cleaner, simpler and more in step with a new generation of readers. Alongside it, our newly relaunched website brings a more streamlined experience, with improved navigation, an archive of past issues, a site-wide search, real-time weather updates including wind conditions, and expanded opportunities for our partners in both digital and print.
It’s a huge leap, one that reflects where we’re headed.
This month, the island celebrates its annual "Love Boracay" festival, a reminder of why we are here and why we stay.
It’s no mystery why we love Boracay. Just look around you.
Never mind the detractors and haters; every destination has them. And yet, the world continues to see what we see. Year after year, Boracay and its iconic White Beach remain among the most celebrated destinations globally, consistently earning TripAdvisor’s “Best of the Best” distinction and recognition from Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler. The magic endures.
Not everyone sees Boracay the way we do. For some, its beauty has become ordinary. Ask them what excites them, and they might point to malls, skyscrapers, cinemas (and bridges), everything they imagine Boracay “lacks.”
It’s a matter of perspective. And perhaps they will never see what we cannot unsee: that first glimpse of blinding white sand, that quiet sense of wonder that never quite leaves.
But beyond our shores, the world tells a different story.
As this issue goes to print, global tensions in the Middle East are beginning to ripple outward, not just politically, but economically. Rising fuel costs, disrupted supply chains and uncertainty in travel are no longer distant headlines. For an island like Boracay, where nearly everything arrives by sea or air, these shifts are felt faster and heavier.
Tourism, which had only just begun to regain momentum, now faces fresh uncertainty. While demand remains, booking windows are tightening and travelers are becoming more cautious, opting for shorter, closer trips. In times like these, we are once again reminded of the importance of our domestic tourists—our kababayans who never tire of returning to the places they love, who work hard and simply deserve a reprieve, and who continue to sustain destinations like ours.
This year’s Earth Day theme, “Our Power, Our Planet,” feels especially timely. Climate action is not just about emissions; it is about rethinking the systems that power our economies and repairing our relationship with the environment.
President Marcos recently addressed this: “War is not the only threat to humanity. Climate change poses the greatest existential test for all our civilizations. For the Philippines, the climate crisis is not a future risk, it is for us a present reality.” For an island like Boracay, that relationship is deeply personal.
Which brings us back to a question that refuses to go away: the proposed Boracay Bridge.
Through our community pulse survey (page 4), we asked residents and stakeholders where they stand. The response was telling.
One respondent who voted against put it plainly: “To preserve Boracay Island’s environment for future generations, and to protect the island from corporate and political greed.”
In light of everything unfolding around us, one cannot help but ask: Do we really need it, or does it simply distract us from what really matters?
Imagine if construction had already begun when this latest crisis hit. We are already seeing the economic toll ripple across the globe. Now picture heavy machinery abandoned mid-project, on land and at sea, concrete and steel structures left unfinished, coral reefs crushed to rubble beneath them, a once-vibrant ecosystem reduced to a field of gray. Not a testament to progress, but to the opposite.
Bridges are meant to symbolize connection, innovation and human ingenuity. But in the wrong place, they risk becoming monuments to excess and reminders of how easily we can overreach and how much we stand to lose.
The reality is simple: when oil prices rise, everything else follows. From airfare to electricity to basic goods, the cost is passed on to all of us. What begins as a geopolitical conflict quickly becomes a cost-of-living crisis.
In response, the Philippine government has declared a National Energy Emergency, an early, precautionary move to stabilize supply, curb hoarding and protect households from deeper shocks. It signals not panic, but preparedness. And here in Boracay, we feel that pressure sooner than most.
Living on an island in Western Visayas means we carry what many call the “island premium.” When global oil prices surge, that premium becomes heavier. Almost everything we consume is transported in. Every increase reverberates through daily life.
The more important question now is not why, but how we respond.
And the answer, however simple it sounds, is this: slowly, steadily, one day at a time. We conserve. We adjust. We look after one another.
We have been here before.
The pandemic forced us to slow down, to live with less, to rediscover the value of simplicity. In a world where instant gratification has become the norm, we were reminded of the quiet power of waiting, of making do, of finding joy in what is already within reach.
Perhaps this moment is also an opportunity to reassess our priorities.
Do we invest in projects that risk the very foundation of our island’s identity? Perhaps it’s time to put the “bridge” conversation to rest and shift our focus to what truly needs attention:
Better healthcare and emergency response systems (see page 14 for updates on Ciriaco S. Tirol Hospital).
Cleaner, professionally managed beaches, free of hazardous potholes and exposed pipes after typhoons.
Improved public safety through adequate street lighting. Long-overdue housecleaning: remove dead wires, discarded pontoons, and debris; clear drainage; install garbage bins and public restrooms by the beach.
A fairer, more seamless visitor experience: fixing broken systems, eliminating redundant fees, and ensuring environmental fees visibly translate into proper beach stewardship.
These are not grand ambitions. They are practical, necessary and long overdue.
Times of uncertainty call for prudence. To be prudent is to act with care, to think ahead, to make decisions not out of panic, but out of responsibility.
We do not need to panic. But we do need to prepare. We hope for the best but we plan for the worst.
As the Philippines assumes its role as Chair of ASEAN this year, it has joined regional calls for restraint, de-escalation, and the peaceful resolution of conflict.
We also hold on to small but meaningful signs of progress. The recent Camago-3 well development, strengthening the Malampaya gas field, offers a timely boost to the country’s indigenous energy supply, which is an important step toward reducing dependence on volatile global fuel markets.
As the world grapples with conflict and uncertainty, we pray for protection over our country and our people, especially those far from home, including the 57,486 OFWs from Western Visayas working across the Middle East.
We pray for wisdom among leaders, and for compassion to prevail where it matters most.
As it is written: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds.” (Philippians 4:6-7, ESV)
We have endured a closure. We survived a global pandemic. And we will weather this, too.
For now, we focus on what we can control: our choices, our community and our care for this island we call home.
Maybe the best therapy, in times like these, is something simple: a long walk by the beach.
One step at a time.
Peace and good vibes,
Editor-in-Chief
Email me at fvds.boracaysunnews@gmail.com.
Boracay Sun News is committed to presenting all sides without endorsing political or social agendas. Information is accurate as of publication and written and edited by real people, not AI.
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