Virgin Islands, Indefinite Closure Decision
'Soyoon', 'Kim', 'Mojak' Engraved
"Tourists Leaving Names Damage Coral"
A famous tourist destination in the Philippines has been indefinitely closed to visitors due to environmental damage caused by foreign tourists.
On the 2nd (local time), Bohol Island News reported that Virgin Island, located in Bohol, has been indefinitely closed. According to the report, Governor Aris Aumentado announced at a press conference, "I will recommend the relevant government departments to indefinitely close Virgin Island." He added, "Following this recommendation, the committee managing Virgin Island will close the area or prohibit all artificial activities in the region."
Virgin Island is located a short distance from Panglao Village and boasts stunning scenery with its blue sea and white sandy beaches. It is part of a protected area called the Panglao Island Protected Seascape (PIPS) and is environmentally protected under the National Integrated Protected Areas System.
The governor was briefed the previous day by the heads of relevant departments, the Bohol Regional Environmental Management Office chief, the Panglao Island Marine Protection team leader, and local officials about recent incidents on Virgin Island. Danilo Menoria, a diving instructor from Panglao Town, reported during the briefing that a coral approximately 11 meters in circumference and 3.7 meters in diameter was damaged by artificial actions of tourists. Various letters, seemingly tourists' names such as 'Soyoon,' 'Kim,' 'Mojak,' 'Kago,' 'Haro,' 'Re,' and 'Tom,' were engraved about 1 mm thick on the coral. In response, the governor decided to indefinitely close the island to tourists to protect the marine environment.
Netizens who heard the news reacted with comments such as "This is truly a disgrace to the country," "I don't understand why people carve their names," and "Please stop doing embarrassing things abroad."
Meanwhile, Virgin Island is a representative resort in the Philippines known for its outstanding natural scenery and has been a filming location for advertisements of a popular domestic ion drink. It is especially popular among tourists for enjoying various marine sports such as snorkeling and scuba diving. With its large and small corals and tropical fish, it has also been called the "Holy Land of Snorkeling" in Bohol.
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