Over 800 Sinkholes Were Found in Boracay
Just as the island gets back on its feet, a new problem looms.
Sinkholes have reportedly been found in a few barangays in Boracay—815 of them, actually. This has prompted the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (MGB-DENR) to warn of the island's possible overcapacity in the near future.
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What are sinkholes, and why are there so many in Boracay?
"Sinkholes are land depressions due to the removal of support underneath due to earthquakes or due to the lowering of the ground waters. These sinkholes are not found in other types of rocks but exclusively in limestone areas," explained MGB Geosciences Division Chief Mae Magarzo.
As an island made of limestone, Boracay's chemical composition, calcium carbonate, slowly melts when it is exposed to acid over time. This creates sinkholes. In 2018, the Karst Subsidence Hazard Mapping report found at least 789 sinkholes on the island, 801 in 2019, and 814 in 2020. Now it's uncovered 815 across three barangays from 2021 to 2022.
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The most dangerous thing about sinkholes is that they are undetectable, unpredictable, and can appear anywhere. "That is why we want the carrying capacity to be observed because, as you could see in our geo-hazard map in Karst Subsidence, almost all are highly susceptible," Magarzo added. The agency has also recommended that property owners whose structures stand on limestone assess their buildings' weight.
Another DENR-Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau study reported that the island's carrying capacity is 19,215 people or 6,405 arrivals a day for three-day stays. So now, the body suggests that the ideal arrival capacity should only be 6,085.
Meanwhile, the population-carrying capacity for the island is said to have exceeded by 15,836 a day. Therefore, stronger implementation of the prescribed carrying capacity is a must, according to Magarzo.
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