Philippines to temporary shut popular tourist island

The Philippines has announced its best-known holiday island Boracay will be closed to tourists for six months over concerns that the once idyllic white-sand resort has become a “cesspool” tainted by dumped sewage. A spokesperson for President Rodrigo Duterte said the closure would begin on 26 April. President Duterte had previously described the island as a "cesspool," and was concerned the island could be turned into a "fishpond or a sewer pool" if its environmental needs weren't addressed. Boracay had nearly 2 million visitors in 2017. The decision will affect thousands of people employed in the island. The island is home to around 500 tourism-related businesses, which drew in annual revenue of $1.07bn (£760m) last year. However, the government said affected companies will receive financial aid.