In the year 2019, it’s certainly not out of the ordinary that a woman would wear even a skimpy bikini at the beach, but one Taiwanese tourist in Boracay, Philippines, had to pay a fine for wearing a bikini that wouldn’t even qualify as “itsy-bitsy.”
Photos of the woman had gone viral online, with several netizens posting and reposting various shots from witnesses on the island.
The photos showed the woman walking either by herself or with a man while she was wearing a white outfit consisting of straps and thin strips of cloth that covered only her nipples and labia.
Here are some of the photos:
According to a report by CNN Philippines, the woman was found, arrested, and fined by police for her outfit. The report said that the woman was fined around 50 USD for her “erotic” outfit.
The outfit that she wore on October 9 looked similar to something below:
Here is a photo of the woman in the offending outfit. According to the CNN report, the local police chief named Jess Baylon said, ” “they have to respect our culture and tradition, and our proper decorum.”
This is the back of the outfit the Taiwanese woman in Boracay was wearing.
Other netizens were able to take photos of her in different poses as well.
Newly-opened beach with new controversy
The couple were advised not to leave their hotel with the woman wearing the skimpy outfit, as it would create a disturbance and that they may get in trouble with the local police.
The couple persisted in going out with the woman in the skimpy outfit, though, calling their actions “art.”
“They were told not to by the hotel management, but they said it was a form of art,” Boracay Inter-Agency Management and Rehabilitation Group (BIAMRG) chief Natividad Bernardino said in a phone interview.
Boracay open for a year already
A popular tourist destination in Southeast Asia because of its beautiful white sand beaches, Boracay had undergone a 6-month long rehabilitation period before opening again in October last year.
The island had initially been closed following the spread of bright green algae along the beaches, which was a product of fecal matter that had reached dangerous amounts. Sewage from various hotels and establishments that covered the island let out into the ocean, which had caused the buildup of algae that fed on the waste.
What did netizens have to say about the woman’s outfit?
Here are some of the opinions of netizens on the Taiwanese woman’s Boracay outfit:
This commenter thinks that the woman’s actions have no taste or decency at all, and judged that the Taiwanese woman was only seeking attention. Perhaps she was hoping to be picked up as a model by a talent scout?
While this person thought that this was normal, and that it’s all right to do such a thing in areas where it’s allowed, such as Bali or Phuket. They cautioned against doing so on beaches or places with children, though.
This commenter, on the other hand, wished that the Taiwanese woman’s boyfriend had the same adventurous and exhibitionist streak as she had.
Another commenter said that Filipinos wear some of the same clothes, and that the woman’s attire wasn’t out of the ordinary.
This commenter said that the woman probably didn’t like to wear clothes and should have gone to a nude beach.
And this green-minded commenter suggested she use leaves instead of buying the bikini.
What do you think of the Taiwanese woman in Boracay wearing her white string bikini? Let us know in the comments!