Tight security up in Boracay; state of calamity eyed
Police with assault rifles patrolled entry points to Boracay Island yesterday just days before a six-month shutdown and clean-up of one of the country’s top tourist attractions.
Authorities held a practice run of security measures, asking residents of the tiny island to present identification (ID) cards at the gateway port of Caticlan to be allowed entry.
In Boracay, police conducted exercises simulating clashes with protesters, terrorist attacks and a hostage incident even as they said there was no specific threat.
“In any plan we need maximum contingency. We will have an assessment if we need to add or reduce our forces but we now have enough forces,” local police official Jesus Cambay told AFP.
Once hailed as one of the world’s top holiday destinations by travel magazines, Boracay is reeling from decades of unchecked tourism and environmental degradation.
It is set to be shut down tomorrow to, among other things, fix its drainage system.
No more tourists Starting Thursday, no new tourists will be allowed to enter Boracay Island and authorities said they expect the smooth entry and exit to and from Boracay Island via Malay town.
Tourists will already be stopped at the Caticlan Port in mainland of Malay town as the six-month closure officially starts on April 26.
“If you arrive at Caticlan Port past midnight of April 26, you will not be allowed to enter Boracay anymore,” said Niven Maquirang, the administrator for the ports in both mainland Malay and in Boracay Island.
A dry-run was conducted yesterday to see the flow of people coming in and out including tourists, workers, local residents, and government employees.
“Everything went well,” Maquirang said.
Only those with governmentissued IDs would be able to enter as long as their address indicates any of the three barangays (villages) that comprise Boracay — Balabag, ManocManoc and Yapak. Also accepted are the IDs issued by the Aklan provincial government to temporary workers.
State of calamity
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the draft resolution recommending the declaration of a State of Calamity in the affected barangays covering Boracay has been approved by the National Council.
The State of Calamity is proposed in Barangays Balabag, ManocManoc, and Yapak (Boracay Island), Municipality of Malay, Province of Aklan, and the implementation of a temporary closure of Boracay tomorrow.
Lorenzana said following the prevailing conditions in Boracay Island and the urgent need for its temporary closure as a tourist destination for purposes of rehabilitation, the National Council has agreed to recommend to the President the declaration of a state of calamity on the island.
Extortion racket The government has vowed to look into allegations that some barangay officials in Boracay were extorting from business owners in exchange of identification cards for their employees.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said the probe on the alleged extortion racked exposed by Senator Panfilo Lacson would be conducted by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
“I’m sure the DILG will look into this. Believe you me, Secretary (Eduardo) Año will not tolerate this if this can be proven,” Roque said during a Palace press briefing.
Roque said Año could easily probe the alleged extortion scheme since there were only two or three barangay captains in Boracay island.
Lacson earlier revealed that some barangay officials were asking as much as 1400,000 from local businesses in exchange for the IDs for their workers.
Diplomat’s appeal Meanwhile, in order to retain Boracay Island’s top foreign market, South Korean Ambassador Han Dong-Man is urging the Philippine government to shorten its closure.
In an interview with Manila Bulletin, Han is suggesting for a four-month closure instead of the six-month closure, which starts Thursday.
Official statistics from the Department of Tourism (DOT) showed that South Koreans are the top foreign visitors in the country with 1.6 million arrivals last year.
While China is catching up, DOT’s Western Visayas office data showed that South Koreans are still the number one foreign arrivals in Boracay, the country’s most popular beach destination.
In 2017 alone, there were 388,439 South Koreans who visited Boracay, which earned more than P14.6 billion from the South Korean market alone. That is based on their average spending for staying in Boracay for more than a week.
The island resort known for its white-sand beach is not only favored among family members or among circle of friends, but also for newlywed South Korean couples.
“Boracay has been a honeymoon destination of Koreans,” Han said.
He said he has already spoken to DOT Secretary Wanda Teo-Tulfo and hopes the Duterte administration’s program to balance tourism development and protecting the environment will work and that Boracay will soon reopen. (With reports from Genalyn D. Kabiling and Vanne P. Terrazola)