‘Patay-gutom’ scare away cruise ships
With international cruises planning to dock in the Philippines, tourism authorities had better ask them why only now. Those cruise operators are sharp. They know their clientele would swell by including Philippine attractions in their itineraries. Yet they have shunned our shores for years. What could be the reason?
It’s an open secret among Asian tour operators. Cruises used to dock in Manila more than a decade ago, but were scared away by rapacious Customs men.
The Customs men boarded the vessels not so much to inspect than to wine and dine in the well-stocked restaurants. At first it was tolerable: just three or four of them at a time. But then, the “patay-gutom” couldn’t help themselves. Soon, in succeeding cruise stops, they took to bringing onboard their families and friends. Not content, they even demanded take-home steaks and lobsters, and stole tableware. The shame they brought to the Philippines is incalculable. Cruises avoided the Philippines. Tourism suffered. They’re no different from crooked airport policemen, cabbies and security x-ray screeners who rip off
In time, tourist officials can bring the cruises farther south to Cebu, Dumaguete, Boracay, Kalibo, and Coron. Already fitted with deep-water ports are Subic in Zambales and Silay in Negros Occidental. The former can be a landing for the eats and treats of Central Luzon. In the latter, an international port in the 1800s, are three dozen well-preserved Spanish-era manors, plus World War II ruins.
Given the right boost for operators and protection against extortionists, cruises should boom. There were only about 24,000 cruise tourists last year, a mere third of the targeted 72,000. The tourism department is aiming for 75,000 foreign cruise visitors this year.
* * * Why were air assets never used, President Rodrigo Duterte wonders aloud about the Mamasapano Massacre. That’s something to ponder on this second anniversary of the decimation of 44 police commandos who had taken down two international terrorists in the Moro separatists heartland. Why indeed were military aircraft not scrambled to help repel the rebels who had encircled the commandos? Why did it have to
Insatiable Customs men soon took to bringing entire families onboard the docked vessels, to freeload on steak and lobster.