People, especially youngsters, do not mind playing in the dirty waters of a beach in Boracay Island and one of the members of an interagency committee which recommended the six-month closure of the Philippines' tourist spot said there should be a move to ban swimming.

"We need to do an advocacy and information drive banning swimming there,” said Eduardo Ano, officer-in-charge of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in an interview Saturday.

This includes placing posters warning residents they will get sick if they swim at Bulabog Beach.

Ano said he saw two youngsters wading at the dirty waters of the beach. “I was conducting an inspection when I saw unruly children playing at the beach,” Ano said.

After telling the children to leave, Ano proceeded with inspecting the voluntary demolition of establishments which violated the 30-meter easement from the shoreline rule.

He met with local government officials on the measures needed for rehabilitation of the island which President Rodrigo Duterte ordered closed for six months beginning April 26 following the recommendation of the interagency committee composed of the DILG, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Tourism.

Ano said he will meet owners of commercial establishments of Boracay, tentatively on April 17.

He reminded business stakeholders in Boracay Duterte's decision to close the island for six months is final.

“If they will ask to overturn the decision of the president, that will never happen,” said Ano. DMS