THE PHILLIPINES
Tourism is taking its toll of the country's beautiful beaches. Environmentalists are particularly concerned about Boracay, a small islet once famed for its white sandy beach. Over the years, wanton exploitation by the tourism industry has destroyed the pristine ecology of this islet. The blue-green waters around the islet have turned cloudy and the shoreline is choked with green algae due to the seepage of untreated water and solid waste generated by over 30,000 tourists a day. The islet has no sewage system and has a limited water supply. Adding to the misery of the islanders is a proposed 18-hole golf course and 600-room condominium hotel in Boracay. The department of environment and natural resources has already warned that the golf course would expedite the destruction of the islet's fragile ecology. The real estate company, Fil-Estate Land Inc, has already started work on the golf course without acquiring the necessary environmental clearance.