Boracay the 1970s. In 1970, the movies "Nam's Angels" (released in the U.S. as "The Losers") and "Too Late the Hero" used filming locations on Boracay and Caticlan. There was an influx of Western tourists after German writer Jens Peter called it "paradise on Earth" in his book about the Philippines in 1978. In the 1980s, the island became popular as a budget destination for backpackers. By the 1990s, Boracay's beaches were being acclaimed as the best in the world. However in 1997, the tourist arrival to the resort island dropped 60 percent due to the increase of coliform bacteria from
2018 Boracay closure and redevelopment resolve the worsening sewage conditions there. Duterte has directed Environment secretary Roy Cimatu to resolve the environmental issues in the island. Boracay is part of the jurisdiction of the town of Malay of Aklan province. Three of Malay's barangays are in Boracay. According to the Western Visayas regional office of the Department of Tourism, Boracay had two million tourists in 2017 which accounts for 34 percent of Western Visayas' 5.8 million tourist arrivals. At least 19,031 are employed to work on the island. Waters along the beaches of Boracay have experienced algal bloom which environmentalists and some long-time residents claim