Boracay to reopen as scheduled Oct. 26 with 5,000 hotel rooms – DOT

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said that the target reopening of the world-famous Boracay Island on October 26 will push through with at least 5,000 hotel rooms available to visitors.

But partying in the island may be reduced to a minimum as the DOT plans to promote sustainable tourism in its place.

"It won't be like a really party place anymore. We want it to be as it is, more peaceful," said Puyat.

"We see that probably only about 3,000 to 5,000 rooms would be opened which means that they will be 100 percent compliant [with the requirements set by the interagency task force]," she added.

Puyat said that Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu will soon be reporting on the carrying capacity of the island and will discuss ways on how to enforce it.

Puyat added that they will also study if they will allow more resorts to be built in Boracay in the future, saying that "as it is, there are already enough resorts."

"I think with the carrying capacity, we will be limiting the number of tourists entering, so it doesn't really make sense to put up more resorts," she said.

Puyat also echoed President Duterte's order that there will be no casinos to be built in the island after its six-month rehabilitation.

"The President has repeatedly said that there will be no casinos in Boracay. We follow the President's directive," she said.

Puyat vowed to promote sustainable and responsible tourism, urging tourists to be environmentally and culturally responsible when visiting a destination.

"We have to be more responsible. It's not only the responsibility of the national and local government but also the tourists as well," she said.

Meanwhile, the tourism chief said that she sees the closure of Boracay as a "blessing," citing that other destinations in the country became known to tourists.

"I have to thank the private sector. What they did was they diverted the tourists to other tourist destinations which in a way isa blessing. Now the tourists know that aside from Boracay, we have all these other beautiful beaches in the country," said Puyat.