SWS: Majority of Pinoys in favor of Boracay closure for rehabilitation

The pollster also noted that stronger support for the closure of Boracay was recorded in Mindanao, urban areas, and those with higher education. (Shutterstock)

The latest survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) revealed that majority of Filipinos are in favor of the Duterte administration’s recommendation to close and rehabilitate the once-pristine Boracay Island.

In the First Quarter 2018 Social Weather Survey, done on from March 23 to 27, 64 percent of Filipino adults said they agree and 20 percent of them disagree with the recommendation of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Department of Tourism (DOT) to shut down the world-famous beach to tourists for a year for its full rehabilitation.

Thirty-eight percent of survey respondents said they “strongly agree,” and 26 percent of them “somewhat agree” with the proposal. On the other hand, 10 percent of the Filipino adults said they “strongly disagree” with the matter, and another 10 percent “somewhat disagree.” Seventeen percent were undecided about the recommendation.

“This gives a net agreement score (% agree minus % disagree, correctly rounded) of +44, classified by SWS as very strong,” the SWS said.

In compliance with the order of President Rodrigo Duterte, who earlier called the island a ‘cesspool,’ the White Beach was closed to tourists on April 26 for a six-month environmental clean-up.

In the same survey, 64 percent of Filipinos also believed that the closure would help (37 percent definitely help plus 28 percent somewhat help, correctly rounded) rehabilitate the nature in the island. Meanwhile, 16 percent think it would not help (8 percent somewhat not help plus 8 percent definitely not help), and 20 percent were undecided.

The survey also showed that 61 percent of Filipino adults said the closure would help boost the number of tourists in Boracay, while 16 percent of the respondents think it would not. The remaining 23 percent were undecided whether the closure would help boost tourism in the area.

Stronger support for Boracay closure

The pollster also noted that stronger support for the closure of Boracay was recorded in Mindanao, urban areas, and those with higher education.

“Net agreement with the government’s recommendation to close Boracay was highest in Mindanao at an extremely strong +55 (68% agree, 13% disagree), followed by Metro Manila at a very strong +49 (69% agree, 20% disagree), Balance Luzon at a very strong +45 (64% agree, 20% disagree, correctly rounded), and the Visayas at a moderately strong +26 (53% agree, 27% disagree) [Chart 6],” the SWS said.

“Net agreement was an extremely strong +50 (68% agree, 18% disagree) in overall urban areas, compared to the very strong +38 (59% agree, 21% disagree) in overall rural areas,” it added.

Meanwhile, net agreement among those with higher educational attainment was highest among college graduates at an “extremely strong” +54 (70 percent agree, 16 percent disagree), followed by high school graduates at an “extremely strong” +50 (69 percent, 18 percent disagree), non-elementary school graduates at a “very strong” +34 (55 percent agree, 20 percent disagree), and elementary school graduates at a “very strong” +33 (57 percent agree, 23 percent disagree).

The SWS also said that support for the closure of the White Beach was stronger among those with “much trust” in Duterte, and those “satisfied” with him as the Philippine leader and with his administration as a whole.

The March 2018 Social Weather Survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults (18 years old and above), with 300 respondents each in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.