Leave Nothing but Footprints.

Since Boracay was first "discovered" by backpacking travelers in the late seventies, this beautiful island has evolved from a peaceful, unspoilt hideaway to a lively and vibrant beach destination.

However, mass tourism has its repercussions. Taking care of Boracay's environment and preserving the cleanliness and beauty of the island is a task in which everyone needs to participate and a responsibility we all share - tourists and residents alike.

From the simplest, perhaps most obvious things - depositing your trash carefully for example, to more complex issues such as the illegal collection of sand from the beach or live shells and corals from the reef, we all need to be aware of the impact we have on our surroundings.

While the short term effects of littering are unpleasant, the long term damage is much more worrying.
For example, did you know that cigarette butts can take from one to twelve years to biodegrade? Nylon fabrics may take thirty to forty years, aluminum cans eighty to one hundred years and plastic bottles have the potential to last forever!

Litter is dangerous, unsightly and harmful to wildlife, so don't turn a blind eye. Please take the time to pick up your trash from the sand, and why not someone else's too? Each one of us can make a difference on a day to day basis.

Beach clean-ups are regularly organized by the "Boracay Yuppies" (check their Facebook page for schedules) if you want to help give back something to the island.
Right now, the Yuppies are campaigning on five issues which they think are important to Boracay Island:

• Boracay please, not Bora. Let’s keep the islands’ name intact.
• Do not bring home the sand. It’s against the law!
• Fishing on declared fish sanctuaries is not allowed.
• Love Boracay. Never leave your trash anywhere, especially cigarette butts, on our beaches.
• Save energy! Reduce waste! Walk more! Support Greenpeace. Let’s make Boracay a climate and environment-friendly destination.

The anchoring of speed boats and bancas on the reef causes extensive damage to the corals (which may never recover) and the burning of plastic waste releases toxic fumes into the air, so please refrain from these practices.

Educate your children about the importance of caring for our environment, and think twice before tossing that bottle overboard on your scenic boat trip, for the very beauty which lured the first visitors to this once pristine island could eventually lead to it's demise.

As the old saying goes: Take nothing but pictures; leave nothing but footprints; kill nothing but time.
Boracay still remains one of the most attractive tourist destinations in the country. Let's keep it that way.
It's in our hands.