Shangri-la Boracay issues....

Subject: Shangrila's Paved Paradise
Date: Sun, 11 Dec 2005 21:54:00 -0800

Dear Friends

I received this distressing email from my friend, Renee Lorica, a biologistworking for Flora and fauna International now based in Bacolod City.Renee Lorica's friend in Boracay witness an alarming destruction in thefragile environment at the on-going construction of the 220-room ShangrilaBoracay Resort. Boracay Island is a resort island that is probably thesingle most popular destination in the whole country.Our national government has drumbeat this investment as a show of trust inthe Arroyo administration and the success of the Department of Tourism.

Shangrila Hotels has no right in projecting itself as an environmentalproponent if they cannot even respect the environment.We may be no match to the powerful Kuok Properties, owners of the Shangrilahotel chain, but together we can make a stand against continued negligencein a critical environment.This email is being sent to ALL my contacts from environmental lawyers, &the journalists, to people in the tourism industry and the bird clubs in theregion, specially in Malaysia.I urge you to circulate this email until it reaches the powers behind ...the Dept of Envirnment and Natural Resources, the Dept Of Tourism, theOffice of the President, and Kuok Properties.Michael LuPresidentThe Wild Bird Club of the Philippineswww.birdwatch.phPS. As the construction goes on, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)and the Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) has yet to be issued bythe DENR. These 2 documents are pre-requisites before any construction workis undertaken.

> Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2005 05:5 6:12 -0800 (PST)
> From: Lara Tajanlangit
> Subject: Shangri-la's Paved Paradise in Boracay


>>> Last Sunday, December 4, while my plane was passing over Boracay, I noticed a large brown hole in the forest where the 3 species of flying foxes (the endangered and endemic Golden-crowned Flying Fox, the threatened Giant Flying Fox and the commonIsland Flying Fox) are roosting in the island.

The site looked really bare from the plane. As soon as I landed I contacted the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau Representative in the island, the environmental impact assemment (EIA) preparer of the Shang-rila Boracay Hotel and Renee Lorica, who has studiedthe bats in the island for a year, and is now based in Bacolod.

The next day, the EIA preparer told me to talk to the Project Director of Shangri-la Boracay so he can explain to me the developm ent plans and mitigating measures. I decided it would be best if I went to the Shangri-la site with the DENR-EMB representative so he can monitor the site as well.

When we arrived at the site this morning the project director showed us the development plans and explained the mitigating measures for the clearing they were presently doing, which included planting, landscaping, catchments for storm water runoffs among others. I expressed my fears that siltation will affect the coral reefs and that the future clearing and construction noise might affect the bats roosting in the nearby forest.

I requested that they hire a wildlife biologist familiar with the flying foxes to monitor the behavior and condition of the bat roost during the 2 year construction period and to allow Renee> Lorica access to their site so she can pursue her study on the bats' r oosting patterns to guide the development.

I also expressed by concern for the endangered sea turtles nesting on the beach since he also mentioned that they will be> barging in construction materials.

He assured me Shangri-la has a team of tree doctors, oceanographers and environmental consultants overlooking the> construction activities.

After a long discussion, we finally went to the site. To my dismay, the destruction even looked worse on land. At least half of the mountain side was being buldozed ( around 2 hectares according to the estimate of the DENR representative with me). Only a handful fo trees were left on the cleared slope. All the second-growth limestone forest, small trees and plants that use to> cover the mountain side were uprooted and piled on one side to be composted. Coconut trees were being chainsawed to be given to the loc al community.

I was afraid that the noise created by the chainsaw and buldozers will affect the bats roosting nearby. I am also concerned that with the heavy rains the past few days, siltation will occur. I did not see any catchment basins installed to catch stormwater.

After we left the site, I expressed my disappointment to the DENR representative for allowing this type of development to take place; for allowing them to clear and quarry one of the last reamaining forested mountains in the island; and for adding to the threats facing the already endangered flying foxes, that play a vital role in the regeneration of forests in Boracay and the neighboring northwest Panay peninsula.

I know that we cannot rebuild the mountain side that has been destroyed...what has been done has already been done. Shangri-la has to ensure as that no furthe r earthmoving and cutting be allowed. It has already done enough damage. Replanting should be done immediately to ensure that chances of siltation and landslides be minimized. Heavy equipments should be banned in the> area --- the noise generated can drive out the roosting bats and wildife in the surrounding forest.

Please tell Shangri-la Hotel they should review their development plans and re-evaluate their priorities. What must come first ? A huge lobby and landscaped gardens or the protection of the last remaining forest of Boracay and endagered species? These are important choices and the answer to this questions speaks of the integrity and principles of the Shangri-la group. The world is changing,> more tourists are willing to pay more for environmental protection. Please let Shangri-la know that drastic environmental> destruction wil just destroy the very attraction of the island --> its natural God-given beauty.

>> They have a social responsibility to the local community, to the> island, their guests and to future generations.

>> Lara