Boracay poor sewage and septic system of the island. The conditions of Boracay in 1997 led to the installment of a potable water supply system, a sewage treatment plant and a solid waste disposal system in Boracay which was operated by the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA). The environmental concerns persisted due to noncompliance of numerous business establishments. Then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared Boracay a Special Tourism Zone in 2005 while in April 2006 she gave the PTA administrative control over the island while mandating the agency to coordinate with the provincial government of Aklan. In 2012, the Philippine Department of
Boracay Tourism reported that Boracay had been named the world's second best beach after Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Due to worsening environmental conditions in Boracay, President Rodrigo Duterte in February 2018 said he plans to close the resort island, which he described as a "cesspool", on April 26, 2018, instructing Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy Cimatu to resolve the issue. In a cabinet meeting, President Duterte approved the full closure of the island for six months, effective April 26. 2018 to rehabilitate and resolve the environmental issues surrounding Boracay. On May 30, 2018, President Duterte declared that