Boracay employees mandated to undergo x-ray examination

Employees working for private and public firms in this resort island who will be hired or will renew their job contracts beginning January 2013 will have to undergo x-ray examination.
"We admit that this will be an additional burden to employees but we only wanted Boracay as a premier tourism destination to have a healthy working environment," said Malay Mayor John Yap.
This development came into light when the local council reviewed Malay's sanitation ordinance and discovered that it was already prescribed that all employees needed x-ray examination before allowing to work.
"Although the local law covers all employees, it also emphasized that those working in the food service sector will be prioritized. We are now strictly implementing this," Yap said.
The local government warned that it would not renew business permits of business firms that will be discovered violating the said ordinance.

Boracay business group assures enough room for tourists this Christmas

Visitors are starting to flock here to enjoy the holidays, said Jony Salme, president of the Boracay Foundation Incorporated (BFI), who also assured there's enough room for tourists who would like to spend their Christmas vacation in this resort island.
"As long as tourists are not choosy there’s always enough room to stay for everyone," said Salme.
The BFI is a prominent business organization in this resort island composed mainly of resort owners.
Meanwhile, officials of Caticlan and Cagban Ports urged balikbayans to speak using their local dialect when making transactions.
"We have received complaints from Aklanons coming from abroad that they could not avail of the tax exemptions because they do not have local identification cards as proof that they are local residents. To remedy this we ask Aklanons to speak to our crew in local dialect so that they can be exempted from terminal and environmental fee charges," said Niven Maquirang, Aklan Jetty port administrator.
A provincial ordinance exempts Aklanon from being charged of local taxes whenever they visit Boracay. 

DPWH to light Aklan’s tourism highway

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has allocated P50 million to install lighting system in Aklan’s tourism highway in 2013.
DPWH said the fund will come from their Road Board Fund to light roads from the Kalibo International Airport (KIA) to Caticlan, Aklan.
First to be lighted are areas where the road widening project has been completed such as the highways of Kalibo, Numancia and Caticlan in Malay.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Aklan has already endorsed the project as part of the requirements set by the Road Board Fund.

American national found dead inside his resort room

An American national was discovered dead inside his rented room in a private resort here Monday night.
Police officials identified the victim as Fred Harvey Lubia, 60. Police found him lying on his bed with no signs of injury.
According to the management of the resort, they were worried when the victim failed to respond to their room call. The management decided to ask police authorities for help.
Based on initial police investigation, a broken bottle was seen near the victim’s body. Police are still determining if there was a foul play on his death.

Hong Kong team dominates world windsurfing championship

Hong Kong players won both the men and women titles of the World Windsurfing Championship held in Boracay, a famous resort island in central Philippines, the organizer announced Sunday.

According to an official release Sunday morning, Hei Man Chan won the women Espoir division (under the year of 22), while Blanca Alabau from Spain took home silver and Kwan Ching Ma, also from Hong Kong of China, grabbed the bronze medal.

For the men's Espoir group, Chun Ting Lee of Hong Kong, China was declared the winner while another Hong Kong player Lok Yiu To won the silver, and Philippine Yancy Kaibigan took home the bronze.

Spain's Olympic gold medalist Marina Alabau won the One Women World Championship, followed by Hei Man Chan of Hong Kong, China and Bryony Shaw of Britan at the third. Alabao won the Olympics in London while Shaw won the bronze in the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

In the One Men World Championship, Geylord Coveta of the Philippines won the gold medal, while Chang Tao of Chinese Taipei grabbed the silver. Yuta Nagano of Japan placed third.

Boracay continues to reign, faces brighter prospects in 2013

Regardless of the environmental issues it faced, Boracay remained to dominate Philippine tourism in the year 2013.
Already popular because of its pristine white sand and blue water, its flourishing tourism industry has been boosted when an international publication,Travel and Leisure Magazine, named Boracay island as the "Best Tropical Resort in the World."
With the declaration, Boracay experienced unprecedented developments among which was the arrival of the Royal Carribean Cruise, the visit of seven ambassadors and for reaching one million tourists, among others.
Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson gathered in his Boracay resort US Ambassador Harry Thomas, Czech Ambassador Josef Rychtar, Greek Ambassador Constantina Koliou, Vietnam Ambassador Vu Tu Nguyen, Iraq Ambassador Wadee Al-Batti, Romanian Ambassador Valeriu Georghe, and Italian Ambassador Luca Fornari.
As the tourism industry flourished, revenues increased benefiting both the national and local government coffers.
As of October this year, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) reported of reaching P1 billion tax revenue generated from different hotels while the Aklan provincial government would earn P180 million revenue this year.
The Malay local government also generated P305 million from business permits, environmental fees, among others.
In area of sports, Boracay was chosen as the venue for the RS:One World Championship, an event which will gather Olympic medalists on windsurfing. The event, organized by Niel Pryde, aimed to catapult Boracay as the mecca for windsurfing and kite-surfing in Asia.
Boracay, was not however, spared from environmental and structural issues, one of which was the controversial demolition of an extension of the West Cove Resort.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) ordered to torn down the expansion done by the resort.
For 2013, Boracay is raring to boost the Department of Tourism's slogan, "Its More Fun in the Philippines." The province of Aklan anticipated to reach 1.5 million tourists for next year.
It looked forward to the signing of sisterhood agreement with Bali, Indonesia. Indonesian Consul R. Toto Waspodo came had visited the resort island and met with the local government officials and discussed the matter.
In November 2013, Boracay will host the Asian Games Centennial Festival to be hosted by the Olympic Council of Asia.
Another development in the offing was the phasing out of motorcycle which gained funding following the forging of an agreement between the Department of Energy (DOE) the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
By 2015, it is expected that tricycles will be replaced by environment-friendly electronic tricycles (e-trikes).
Communication lines will also be expanded as Globe Telecom promised to upgrade its facilities and more rooms and facilities will be added with the construction of The Newcoast Resort which will house seven international hotel chains.

Olympians rule second day of 2012 RS: One World Championships in Boracay Island

Veteran Olympians ruled the fierce battle among top Asian and European windsurfers in the second day of the 2012 RS: One World Championships in Boracay Island.
Results as of Wednesday, Dec. 12, show Bryony Shaw of Great Britain coming in first with a total score of 8.0 in the women division. Shaw won the bronze medal in the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Hei Man Chann, of the Hong Kong windsurfing team, came in second with the score of 9.0.
Falling in third place was Spain's Marina Alabao Neira , the gold medalist in the recently concluded London Olympics.
Alabao had a score of 15.0 but vowed to get back in the next games hoping to retain her top spot in the final count.
The week-long event started December 11 and will culminate December 15.
For the Espoir (19-22 years old) Men Division, Chun Ting Lee of Hong Kong won with a score of 15.0. Lok Yiu To also of Hong Kong came in second with 17.0 as Japan's Takahiro Komori grabbed third spot with score of 30.
In the Men's (over 22) Division, Gaylord Coveta of the Philippines won for the day with the score of 6. Following in second was Taipei's Chang Hao with a score of 13 while Kichiro Hirata of Japan scored 17 for third place.
Most of the top windsurfers are competing with the hope of getting a slot in the next Olympics. 

Bali-Boracay Sisterhood Agreement Seen

The country's famous resort Boracay and Bali of Indonesia would forge a sisterhood agreement on trade and tourism.
Tim Ticar of the Department of Tourism-Boracay said Indonesian Consul R. Toto Waspodo visited the resort island to explore the possibility of the sisterhood agreement.
"The towns of Kalibo and Malay including this resort island were part of the proposal to forge pact for a sisterhood agreement," Ticar said Wednesday.
Waspodo who arrived in Kalibo on Tuesday met with local government and tourism officials to explore the possibilities.
Officials from both countries believed the sisterhood program will boost tourism and trade in South East Asia.
Boracay, which is considered as the best tropical beach in the world, is targeting 1.5 million tourists for the year 2013.

PHL's Butterfly Queen opens garden in Boracay

Elizabeth Lumawig-Heitzmann, the country's known butterfly queen, has opened a Flora Farm Butterfly Garden in this resort island, confident that it would become one of the major attractions in this resort island.
Lumawig is the daughter of Romeo Lumawig, the first Philippine lepidopterist and an internationally acknowledged collector of butterfly and insects.
The opening last Saturday was attended and supported by other international butterfly promoters John Calvert of the Butterfly Garden of Stratford, United Kingdom, and Dr. Maarten Bijleveld, founder of Papiliorama that is a national butterfly garden in Switzerland. Malay town vice mayor Ciceron Cawaling also attended the opening ceremonies.
The Butterfly Garden of Calvert is a prominent tourism destination in the town of Avon in the United Kingdom and is considered as the birthplace of greatest British poet William Shakespeare.
"The newly built Flora Farm Butterfly Garden offers a permanent live exhibition of hundreds of the Philippines' most colorful butterflies, having on show not less than 30 different species during the year," Heitzmann said.
"Butterflies are considered a major dollar industry exports. They have therapeutic effect on people as butterflies make them young. If we export these butterflies to other countries, we have to see it is as necessary. Filipinos have to learn to appreciate the existence of the colorful butterflies," she said in an interview.
Heitzmann, Bijleveld and Calvert became friends while attending different international conferences for the conservation of butterflies in the midst of the developing countries.

Olympic medalists to compete in Boracay

Windsurfing Olympic medalists are coming to Boracay to compete in the five-day RS: One World Championship which will run from Dec. 11 - 15.
The Spaniard Marina Alabao, the current gold medalist in windsurfing of the recently concluded London Olympics, said on Monday she will join in the competition.
"My biggest opponent for this event is a windsurfing delegate from Hong Kong. The biggest challenge is that we will all be competing for the RS One category while in the Olympics we are competing for the RX:X," she said.
"We will be using different sets of equipment for the game which we have not yet used," Alabao said in an interview.
Nenette Aguirre-Graf, local organizer of the international event, said the Olympians were invited by Neil Pryde, one of the founders of the annual event.
"Competitors are coming from 17 countries around the world, they are deemed the best of the best," Graf said.
Alabao arrived on Saturday at this resort island in Central Philippines while others came on Sunday and Monday.
"We invite everyone to witness the event since the games will be played at the front beach of Boracay. In the past it seems impossible that Olympians will be coming to this resort island but it's happening. Indeed, its more fun to be in Boracay," Graf said.
For several years, Graf has been partnered with Neil Pryde in organizing international competitions. The game will make Boracay a mecca for windsurfing and kite-boarding in Asia.

Malay town achieves P315M collection target

 The local government of Malay, Aklan reported reaching the target of P315 million taxes collected for this year.
Municipal treasurer Dediosa Dioso said majority of the collected taxes came from the garbage fee and business tax permits.
"The collection is higher than last year which is only P280 million," Dioso said.
The local government of Malay is currently deliberating on the town budget worth P315 million for the year 2013.
Aside from the garbage fees and business taxes, a high percentage of collections also came from the penalties paid by both tourists and residents for violating local ordinances.
Among these ordinances were smoking and eating at the front beach, colorum vehicles, among others.

Chinese national drowns in Philippine resort

A 27-year-old Chinese national drowned at a beach front in Boracay, a world-renowned resort in central Philippines, on Monday, police said Tuesday.

Police officials identified the victim as Ming Xiu from the city of Shanghai, east China.

Police investigation shows that Ming was swimming with his wife at the beach at around 9:30 a.m. local time when the mishap happened. His wife was reportedly pregnant.

While swimming, Ming suffered a heart attack. Rescuers immediately brought him to a private clinic on the island, but he was already declared dead on arrival.

The Boracay Island has more than a dozen unique beaches and many coves. Most of these beaches have the same powdery white sand for which the island is famous around the world.

Based on records from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, 629,750 passengers, both foreign and local, arrived at the Kalibo airport, the gateway to Boracay, in 2011.

Malay gov't redefines 'fun' tourism

The local government of Malay, Aklan has redefined the "Its More Fun in the Philippines" campaign of the Department of Tourism (DOT) to suit the excitement offered by Boracay Island.
Malay Mayor John Yap said their municipal tourism recently launched the "Experience Boracay" tagline complemented with action plans to ensure enjoyment of tourists while in this resort island.
“Tourists have four ways to experience Boracay. The first is from the airport to the seaport; second is from the Caticlan Port (mainland) up to Cagban Port (Boracay Island); third is from ports to their respective resorts and the last is the island and activities that are available in Boracay," Yap said.
"The Experience: Boracay" is the local government's contribution to the "Its More Fun to the Philippines" slogan globally promoted by the DOT.
Boracay targets 1.5 million tourists in 2013. 

PHL entertainment industry vulnerable to HIV AIDS

A former commercial model now active in the campaign against Human Immuno Virus-Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV-AIDS) said the country’s entertainment industry is highly vulnerable because of low information drive being done within the industry.
Allen Dizon, a former commercial model and is now a speaker of the Channels of Hope (COH) said there are some Philippine celebrities who are already positive of HIV-AIDS but are hiding under their "stars."
"These celebrities are popular, they do not want to be known that they have HIV-AIDS. But we in the COH are eager to help them in their healing process. They could also help us in promoting HIV-AIDS awareness because they could easily convince people," Dizon said during a press conference here Saturday.
Dizon who hails from Negros Occidental had visited different provinces to conduct HIV-AIDS education program. He visited Boracay Island which was also considered vulnerable being a premier tourist destination frequented by tourists.
Reports from the Department of Health in Western Visayas showed there are 223 persons afflicted with HIV-AIDS in the region. Of the number, 18 were from Aklan including Boracay Island.

Boracay targets 1.5m tourists in 2013

The Aklan provincial government hoped to reach 1.5 million tourists arrival in this resort island in 2013.
Niven Maquirang, Aklan Jetty Port administrator also expressed his confidence that Boracay may likely to have 1.3 million tourists before the year ends.
"As early as October, a Korean national was registered as the one millionth tourist. The one million target for 2012 was already realized this early," he said.
"With the increasing trend in number of tourists coming here, we are confident that we could reach have 1.5 million tourists next year," Maquirang said.
Meanwhile, reports from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said Boracay was chosen as the venue for the Asian Games Centennial Festival which will be held in November 2013.
The event is in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Far Eastern Championship which was first held in Manila on 1913.

Boracay residents urged to embrace 'Gangnam Style'

"Gangnam Style" fever has infected Boracay as Korean tourists continue to be the top foreign visitors to this resort island, a tourism official here said on Wednesday.
Residents, tourism stakeholders, frontliners in this resort island were urged to learn and appreciate the culture and dialect of South Koreans in a bid to attract more visitors from that country.
"Gangnam Style" is the iconic song of South Korean singer and rapper Park Jae Sang more popularly known as Psy which depicts the lifestyle of people living in Seoul's most posh district. The song's music video has become the most viewed on YouTube with 824 hits since it was released earlier this year.
Tim Ticar of the Department of Tourism-Boracay said on Wednesday that this was the gist of the message of the two-day seminar held in the island from Nov.26-27.
The said conference was supported by the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) National Tourism Organization and participated by the Human Resources Developments.
"Participants were provided lectures and film viewing on the appreciation of culture, dialect of Koreans including their lifestyle so that we in the tourism sector would understand them," Ticar said.
No figures were provided as to how many South Koreans have visited the island this year. 

Globe's boosts 'Its More Fun in the Philippines' campaign

The Globe Telecom said it is boosting the campaign of the Department of Tourism (DOT) "It's More Fun in the Philippines" as it intensifies network coverage in this resort island using state-of-the-art technologies.
Ernest Cu, Globe President and CEO in a press conference here Tuesday afternoon, said that with these developments they are committed to become the best telecommunications company in Asia.
"We are strengthening our capability in tourism areas such as Boracay and in Palawan as we noted that tourists especially domestics immediately posts to social networking sites sharing their fun experiences," Cu said.
The strengthened network makes it convenient for visitors to posts their fun while in Boracay, Palawan and in other tourist spots.
For his part, Chief Executive Officer and Country Manager Li Wei of Huawei Technologies said that he agrees with the fun slogan of the DOT saying that it is healthy investing in Boracay.
This resort island recently noted a one million tourist arrivals for this year and the number is increasing.
The Globe Telecom executives visited this resort island announcing its achieved major milestone in its nationwide network modernization by successfully interconnecting Boracay through fiber optics.

Boracay resort plans to revive the dwindling giant clams

The controversial West Cove Resort in this resort island planned to revive the giant clams.
Ben Mobo, manager of the West Cove, said their resort recognized the disappearance of the giant clams known in Tagalog as "taklubo."
The West Cove Resort became controversial after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) ordered the demolition of its extension due to alleged environmental issues. The management has been denying the concerns and maintained that it did not violate any environmental law.
"We hired a group of marine scientists from University of the Philippines (UP) to research on how we could ensure environmental protection in our resort," Mobo said.
"They noted that before we built our structures in Boracay, the giant clams have been already disappearing due to human activity. and so we are planning to invest and take responsibility in reviving it. These giant clams are serving as natural filters for Boracay for years," Mobo said.
Boracay residents reportedly collected the giant clams and use them to their new built house in order to ward off evil spirits. Some of the residents also gave giant clams as gifts to visitors coming to this resort island.
"The marine scientists also volunteered to train local residents on how to take care of these giant clams," Mobo added.
The management said each "taklobo" costs P5,000 to be replanted.

Globe Strengthens Its Boracay Network

Globe Telecom has interconnected Boracay through fiber optics, strengthening its network coverage in one of country's top tourist destination. 

The telco linked up the island via the Boracay Submarine Cable System, a two-kilometer fiber optic cable which transmits 80 wavelengths of Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing or DWDM systems.

The cable has "near to limitless transmission capacity" of 40 gigabytes per second (GBPS) per wavelength, expandable to 100 GBPS for a "crystal-clear voice call and superfast surfing," according to Robert Tan, Globe's Chief Technical Adviser. 

"This submarine cable system will provide Globe a future-proof infrastructure, along with those for the entire archipelago, ready for the next generation communication technology," he explained after spearheading the cable's landing from Caticlan in the town of Malay, Antique to Boracay. 

"It's a major milestone for Globe as we have powered up our cell sites with 3G and HSPA+ connectivity," Tan added. 

"Finishing our optical fiber systems highway to Boracay is a significant part of building our brand-new network," stressed Globe President and CEO Ernest L. Cu. Definitely, It will benefit tourism economics and activities in the island. 

Already, Globe has completed 60-percent of its network modernization "in record time" he remarked. 

The telco intends to fully transform its network throughout the archipelago, servicing far-flung locations and creating seamless coverage by the first quarter of 2013. (EVA)

Residents urged to make Christmas tree out of recycled materials

The management of the material recovery facility (MRF) in Barangay Balabag here urged residents to create Christmas tree out of recycled materials this Yuletide season.
Dana Sacapano, caretaker of the MRF facility here, said that they expect more wastes to be dumped at the MRF this Christmas. To minimize the dumping of wastes, local residents should help through recycling.
"It will surely be a big help to our collection of garbage if local residents will use recycled materials in making Christmas decorations," Sacapano said.
In regular days, the MRF facility here collects 18 tons of garbage daily. Those that could not be recycled were being transported to a dumpsite in nearby Malay, Aklan.
For several years, the local government of Malay has been organizing lantern making from recycled materials contests that were being exhibited at the Balabag Public Plaza. 

Uniform tariff for sea sports activities mulled in Boracay Island

The local government of Malay will soon implement a uniform tariff for various sea sports activities in Boracay Island.
Island administrator Glen Sacapano said this developed after they received numerous complaints from tourists that they are being charged expensively by sea sports "commissioners."
Often, "commissioners" leave them alone as soon as they get the usually excessive payment from tourists wanting to experience sea sports.
"Commissioners" here are referred to as freelance agents of different sea sports operators and is given a fee by every client tourist.
"These gave a bad impression to Boracay as a fun destination in the country. The local government wants to regulate sea sports activities to prevent both foreign and tourists from being duped," Sacapano said.
By implementing the tariff, he said this would lawfully control sea sports operators to implement a uniform set of rates to their clients.
Among the popular sea sports activities here are diving, snorkeling, helmet diving, banana boat, and island hopping, among others. 

Rise in potable water consumption worries Boracay water agency

The Boracay Island Water Company(BIWC)is racing against time to ensure enough supply of potable water for both residents and tourists whose number is projected to reach 1.2 million.
Blanca Eunicia Aldaba, costumer service officer of the BIWC, said that their earlier projection is for the potable water supply in this resort island to last until 2016.
"Based on our earlier study, we had consumed ten percent of the over-all water supply in Nabaoy River in mainland Malay," Aldaba said.
But the recent recognition of Boracay as the best beach in the world by an international magazine and projected one million visitors alarmed BWIC.
"With the growing tourism industry, we expect a 15 percent additional water consumption for 2013. Right now, we undertake a new study to determine the long-term viability of the water supply," Aldaba explained.
But while a new study is being undertaken, the BIWC an affiliate of the Manila Water Company is undergoing tree planting and protection of the Nabaoy River, the main source of potable water supply here.
"While we are concern with the possible water shortage in the future, we encourage tourists not to buy mineral or distilled waters if they are in Boracay. We urged them to use our water instead being supplied to their respective resorts as we guarantee that our water is safe and the supply is still much. Buying mineral water bottles added to garbage problem which leads to environmental degradation," she added.

Tricycles to be phased out in Boracay by 2015

BORACAY ISLAND, Malay, Aklan- The local government of Malay, Aklan is planning to phase out the operation of tricycles in this resort island by 2015.
Councilor Dante Pagsuguiron, chairman of the Committee on Environment of the Malay Sanggunian, said the approval of the said local legislation is on its final stage.
"We are phasing out the operation of tricycles and we will be replacing it with the operation of electronic tricycles (e-trikes). Already, the local government has ordered from the Department of Energy (DOE) 100 units of e-trikes to be distributed among the drivers through loan," Pagsuguiron said.
Aside from the hundred units of e-trikes to be provided by the local government, another 100 units have also been requested by the Boracay Land Transport Multi-Purpose Cooperative from the DOE.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is currently helping also the study for the possible financing of units by the drivers. Aside from the financing, the contractor is also reportedly interested in battery-swapping scheme.
Last year, some ten e-trike units have already been given go-signal by the local government to operate as model showcase for the drivers.
"We are phasing out tricycles because they cause pollution in Boracay while the use of e-trikes is being considered environment friendly. We are also requesting resorts to use electronics in their transports," he added.
The local government of Malay has registered some 550 tricycles operating in this resort island.

DFA assessing Boracay as possible venue for 2015 APEC

A team headed by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is in this resort island for a week-long survey and assessment in preparation for the Philippines hosting of the leaders meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in 2015.
The DFA earlier announced that it is looking at Boracay Island as the possible venue for the APEC conference.
Municipal councilor Dante Pagsuguiron said Monday that accompanying the team are government security officials in assessing available infrastructure and facilities for the possible hosting of the conference.
The team also met with the local government officials.
"We do not know yet the response of the visiting team but we are confident that they will provide a positive feedback on their visit," said Pagsuguiron.
The inspection is expected to end Wednesday.
Leaders of the 21 APEC member economies that include the Philippines met in Vladivostok, Russia last September to discuss ways for regional development focused on trade and investment liberalization, regional economic integration, food security, supply chains and cooperation to foster innovative growth.
The APEC region accounts for approximately 40 percent of the world’s population, 57 percent of world GDP and 48 percent of global trade.

Environmental journalists to do investigative works in Boracay

Ten environmental journalists in the country are expected to conduct investigative reporting in this resort island as part of their fellowship program.
The journalists coming from different media organizations are fellows of Environmental Investigative Reporting Fellowship supported by the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF).
"The Boracay visit is part of the fellows' commitment for their year-long practice on investigative reporting in the country," said Imelda Abano, the first Filipina board of director of the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ).
While in Boracay, they are expected to visit the Ati village, meet with the local government, Boracay Foundation Incorporated among others to explore the success of the Boracay Beach Management Program (BBMP); a visit with the Material Recovery Facility (MRF); a visit with the controversial West Cove Resort among others.
"The fellows have chosen Boracay as one of their areas of coverage for their fellowship," said Abano. 

Boracay Aetas to attend conference on peace, land rights

Tribal community in this resort island has confirmed attendance to the national conference on Peace and Land Rights to be held at the University of the Philippines from November 14 to 15.
Rebecca Lozada, national coordinator of the Philippine Coalition for the International Criminal Court (PCICC) said that the national conference aims to strengthen the national discourse and policy advocacy on land rights issues in several areas in the country.
Also joining the conference are Commission on Human Rights chairperson Loretta Ann Rosales, Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio Delos Reyes and Zenaida Brigida Hamada of the National Commission on Indigenous Persons (NCIP).
The Boracay tribal community will be represented by its tribal leader Delsa Justo of the Boracay Ati Tribal Orgtanization (BATO).

Lozada said that PCICC is an organization of human rights organizations and advocates established in 2000 to support the ratification and implementation of the Roman Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Carolers banned in Boracay

The local government of Malay prohibits the public from conducting caroling anywhere in Boracay island this yuletide season.
Island administrator Glenn Sacapano said that for years this resort island had been flooded by carolers, but this year they will be prohibited for the safety of everyone.
"If anybody knows of any caroling activity in this resort island, they should immediately report it to their nearest barangay so that we could determine their identities. We do not know if the carolers coming might endanger the safety of both the residents and tourists in this resort island," said Sacapano Tuesday.
The carolers will be inspected by the village officials in partnership with the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office.
Sacapano said, aside from caroling, people asking for donations from residents of Boracay will also be questioned.

Business group urges installations of CCTVs in Boracay

The Boracay Foundation Incorporated (BFI) is urging the government to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in Boracay to ensure the safety of residents and tourists coming here.
Jony Salme, BFI president, said the local government of Malay is planning to issue a mandate on resort owners to put up CCTV cameras in their respective firms before they would be allowed to renew their business permits.
"We agree that we need CCTV cameras in our private areas. But what if a certain resort although it has a CCTV does not operate it, then the essence of the legislation is useless. It is best if the government will provide the CCTV cameras to be operated by either the police or the government for best results," Salme said.
The Boracay Police Office recently requested a local legislation for CCTV cameras as robbery incidents continue to rise in this resort island.
The BFI is one of the two major business groups in this resort island. The other is the Boracay Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 

DOT urges more funds for tourism upgrade in W Visayas

The Dept. of Tourism in Western Visayas is urging the national government to pour in more funds to this region as investments to lure more incoming tourists.
DOT regional director Helen Catalbas said there is a need to upgrade the services of tourism and infrastructures in the region due to the tourism boom.
Last Friday, this resort island reached its one million tourists goal ahead of its target.
Two years ago, the Japan International Cooperation Agency predicted that Boracay would reach a million tourists by 2016.
On Saturday, some 1,670 Asian tourists also arrived in one group here through the Royal Caribbean Cruise.
"We need right now more funds so that we could lure more tourists. The government needs to put in more money for tourism infrastructures as it is already a guarantee that the spending will have a return of investment through more tourists coming in," Catalbas said.
Reports suggested that as Boracay reached its one millionth tourist target it has also acquired P90 billion in revenues for the government.

Boracay receives one-millionth tourist on Friday

Boracay Island, the world-famous resort in central Philippines, fulfilled its 2012 target of attracting one million tourists on Friday, a local official said.

A Korean national registered as the one-millionth tourist who visited the island in the year of 2012 at 2:40 p.m. local time, said Jony Salme, president of Boracay Foundation Incorporated, which is a group of business stakeholders in this resort island.

According to Salme, the government of Aklan province, to which Boracay belongs, has renewed the target of tourist arrivals, expecting to draw 1.2 million tourists by the end of the year.

This resort island, famous for its fine white sand beach, was rewarded as the best beach island in the world by international travel magazine Travel + Leisure earlier this year.

Boracay on red alert for cruise ship arrival

This resort island has been placed in maximum red alert for the maiden arrival of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship on Saturday with Asian tourists on board.
Aklan jetty port administrator Niven Maquirang said that the police are ready to secure the safety of the cruise passengers.
"The representative of the Caribbean cruise had already met with the PNP (Philippine National Police) officials and the Aklan provincial government. Their representatives had also requested possible evacuation plans in case of sea-related incidents," Maquirang said.
A showcase of local products and foods will welcome the Asian tourists during their several hours of stay in Boracay.

Motorized boats bound for Boracay resumes operation

The operation of motorized banca bound for Boracay Island resumed before noon Thursday after few hours of suspension due to tropical storm "Ofel."
Aklan Governor Carlito Marquez said that around 600 tourists and local residents were stranded in the jetty port after the port operation was cancelled 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Aside from the motorized vehicles, the operation of the roll-on roll-off buses bound to both Mindoro and Batangas was also cancelled.
"The province and the local government of Malay have provided the stranded passengers with coffee, biscuits and noodles," Marquez said.
At about 11 a.m. Thursday, storm signal No. 2 was already lowered to signal No.1 in Aklan.
Although there is no reported injuries, a bridge in Barangay Lilo-an Malinao, Aklan was reportedly damaged.
Gov. Marquez said that provincial disaster officials are already dispatched to the area. 

Aklan's young swimmers prepare for Malaysia swimming tilt

Young swimmers here are now ready to go to Malaysia to join the invitational swimming competition.
Tom Davis, American coach of the Aklan Aquablades, said Wednesday they are sending at least 12 young swimmers to compete in the competition known as "Trick or Treat Malaysia."
The October 26-29 swim meet in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is being supported by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Philippine Aquatic Sports Association (PASA).
"They are the official representative of the country to the said competition. They will be competing against young swimmers coming from Singapore, China, Malaysia among others,” he said.
For two years already, the Aquablades have been competing in international swimming event. In 2010, they competed in Arizona, USA and last year also joined a similar competition in Singapore.
"Some of the kids are joining the competition as they dream to participate in the Olympics someday," Davis said.

Red Cross organizes first 'Festival of the Winds'

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is organizing the first "Festival of the Winds" as part of their humanitarian fund-raising initiatives in this resort island.
Marlon Schoenenberger, PRC-Boracay administrator, said Tuesday that the event will be staged on Nov. 3-4, here.
The "Festival of the Wind" concept was a tradition of an indigenous culture to celebrate the changing of season.
Schoenenberger said the festival will showcase lifeguard competition (senior and junior); father and son kite flying contests; ocean swim and adventures run; lantern parade and an underwater sea clean-up.
The festival will also showcase the celebration of the elemental forces that guide the water's life.
The PRC believes that this festival is one of the next tourism attractions for this resort island considered as the best beach island in the world. 

Boracay to hit 1 million tourist arrivals target in October

Boracay Island in the central Philippine province of Aklan will likely achieve its target of one million tourist arrivals this month, an offical said Friday.

Aklan jetty port administrator Niven Maquirang said that as of Friday morning, tourist arrivals in Boracay Island have already exceeded 970,000.

Maquirang also said that on October 27, the island will welcome 2,500 Asian tourists on board the Caribbean Cruise Ship.

"But with or without the cruise ship arrival, we would still be hitting the one million target in October because of the anticipated semestral break and the holidays," said Maquirang.

October 26 which falls on a Friday has been declared a regular or non-working holiday in the Philippines in observance of the Muslims' Feast of Sacrifice. This is expected to encourage more domestic travelers to go to the island.

Boracay Island is popular among local and foreign tourists due to its powdery white sand and unique beaches. It also attracts sports enthusiasts such as windsurfers and kiteboarders.

In July, Boracay Island's popularity was affirmed when it was named by an international travel magazine as the world's top island destination, beating other top tourist spots such as Santorini in Greece and Bali in Indonesia.

Based on records from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), 629,750 passengers, both foreign and local, arrived at the Kalibo airport, which is adjacent to Boracay, in 2011.

Boracay to become Philippines' new cruise destination

Boracay Island, in central Philippines' Aklan province, is expected to become the country's cruise destination, a local official said here Wednesday.

With the arrival of the first large Caribbean Cruise Ship scheduled on Oct. 27, the Aklan provincial government is making necessary preparations to turn this world-famous sea resort into a new cruise destination in central Philippines, said Niven Maquirang, an Aklan Jetty Port administrator.

"We are anticipating the arrival of Caribbean cruise ship which carries some 2,500 Asian tourists. In addition, the province has already received notices of several cruise ships for 2013," Maquirang said.

The preparation is to ensure that tourists would enjoy their stay here in line with the Department of Tourism's thrusts 'Its More Fun In the Philippines', he said.

"Tourists to Boracay will be provided with different tourism packages depending on their varied interests. Some will be organized for an island hopping, others will be provided with serves of golf and shopping," Maquirang added.

Boracay Island has more than a dozen unique beaches and many coves. Most of these beaches have the same powdery white sand for which the island is famous around the world. Based on records from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), 629,750 passengers, both foreign and local, arrived at the Kalibo airport, which is adjacent to Boracay, in 2011.

Aklan to hit billion peso mark on tax collection

BORACAY ISLAND- The province of Aklan will soon be hitting the one billion peso mark in terms of tax collection, according to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
Revenue District Officer (RDO) Ricardo Osorio said that as of September alone they had already reached the tax targeted collection of P914 million.
"We still have three months of more aggressive tax collection so we are confident that we would be able to attain the 'billionaire province' status," Osorio said.
The booming tourism industry in this resort island reportedly contributes to the positive tax collection of the BIR.
"As a matter of fact, we already had a surplus of P20 million since right now we had collected P935 million," he added.
A report said that a single transaction of a real estate company in this resort island boosted the BIR's collection after it immediately paid P76 million in government taxes.
"I thank the cooperation of our BIR team and of the tax payers in the province," he said. 

Boracay to use bigger 'red flag' as signal for big waves

BORACAY Island, Malay, Aklan- The local government of Malay, Aklan is eyeing to put a "red flag scheme" in the beach area of this resort island to minimize sea-related accidents.

This developed after at least six persons including three Taiwanese nationals drowned in separate incidents two weeks ago. The drowning were due to strong waves.

Report said there had been already a "red flag scheme" in this resort island before but could not be immediately seen by both foreign and local tourists because of its small size. Now, the local government wants to put a large red flag as warning to tourists wanting to swim at the beach.

The red flag when raised would signal to both tourists and residents to avoid swimming because of strong waves.

First aid rescuers stationed in the beaches would then inform the meaning of the red flag raised to tourists swimming along the coastlines.

The local government hopes this would become effective in saving the lives of tourists coming to Boracay.