09/08/2026
𝗜𝗡 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗠𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗬 𝗢𝗙 𝗡𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗘 𝗔𝗚𝗨𝗜𝗥𝗥𝗘-𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗙
The Boracay Sun News family offers our heartfelt sympathies and prayers to the family and loved ones of Nenette A. Graf who joined her Maker on August 7, 2026.
Boracay has lost one of its fiercest champions.
We join the Boracay Island and Malay communities in mourning the loss of one of our own: a true Boracaynon who was a highly respected and well-loved pillar of the community, a fearless leader and public servant, a staunch defender and island warrior, and a loving mother.
Nenette Aguirre-Graf was many things to many people: champion windsurfer, public servant, environmental advocate, community leader and cultural advocate.
She knew the island before it became the world-famous destination it is today. She watched it grow, change and struggle, and spent much of her life speaking up for the place she called home.
Whether on the water as a champion windsurfer, at the helm of the Boracay Foundation Inc., in the Sangguniang Bayan of Malay, or working to preserve Aklanon heritage through the Motag Living Museum, Nenette was never one to simply stand on the sidelines.
She fought for the environment, such as when she authored the municipal ordinance banning single-use plastics. She fought for the community. She fought for a Boracay where development would not come at the cost of the island’s soul.
She was also a fierce and fun friend with an unforgettable laugh and sense of humor, a confidante, big sister, role model and mentor to many, someone who brought people together, lent an ear, offered advice and inspired others to stand up for the island they loved.
She showed up when Boracay faced some of its most difficult moments, including the historic 2018 closure and rehabilitation, and more recently, the community’s stand on the proposed Boracay Bridge and countless battles in between.
Perhaps the most fitting way to remember her is as she was in her element: on the water, wind in her sails, on the island she loved.
Thank you, Nenette, for advocating for Boracay and for believing in its people. Your fight may be over, but your legacy and spirit will live on in the many lives you touched and inspired.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You will be sorely missed. We will do our best to continue the good work you have started.
And we will continue to remind people that “𝙄𝙏’𝙎 𝘽𝙊𝙍𝘼𝘾𝘼𝙔 𝙋𝙇𝙀𝘼𝙎𝙀, 𝙉𝙊𝙏 𝘽𝙊𝙍𝘼,” a message you championed for nearly two decades.
In 2008, Nenette created the Facebook public group "BORACAY” PLEASE, NOT BORA, calling attention to the growing habit of shortening the island’s name to “Bora” and reminding people that Boracay’s name, identity and history are worth preserving. The group went on to become a platform for Boracaynon pride and for advocates who shared her belief that the island should be called by its rightful name.
It was a seemingly simple message, but quintessentially Nenette: fiercely proud of Boracay, protective of its identity and never afraid to speak up.
𝙈𝙖𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙂𝙤𝙙’𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚. 🤍🕊️
✍🏼 Freida Dario-Santiago
📸 Rogue Magazine
𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦 𝘈𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘳𝘦-𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘧 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘱𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘺 𝘚𝘶𝘯 𝘕𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘣𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦.
