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.

163 firms to be demolished in Boracay - DENR

BORACAY ISLAND, Malay, Aklan- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is bent on demolishing 163 resorts and establishments in this resort island for allegedly violating environmental laws.
DENR regional executive director Julian Amador said Thursday that they had already finished sending notices of violations to the affected resorts here in the Central Philippines.
However, Crisostomo Aquino, president of the West Cove Resort, alleged that the local government of Boracay enforced the DENR directive without a court order.
For three months already, the local government had enforced a manual demolition against the concrete structures of the said resort.
Being demolished are the additional structures outside the 998-square meter area which the DENR has permitted the said resort to use under the Forest Land Use Agreement for Tourism Purposes (FLAGT).

West Cove seeks win-win solution with the local government

BORACAY ISLAND, Malay, Aklan- The management of West Cove Resort is currently seeking a win-win solution with the Malay municipal government as its ongoing demolition is still far from completion.

The Malay government enforced a demolition against portion of the resort in Barangay Yapak, Boracay upon the order of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

In a press conference Tuesday, West Cove lawyers Atty. Axel Gonzales and Atty. Florante Roxas admitted of being helpless with the ongoing action of the government.

"What we will do is to file administrative and criminal cases in the Ombudsman while we are confident in winning our claims. We deemed that the demolition is illegal because the DENR has no court order in enforcing the operation," said both lawyers.

For his part, Crisostomo Aquino, in an eight-page, statement said that he is willing to donate the view deck for the municipal government as part of its win-win solution. The said view deck, which is one of the favorite places being visited by tourists while in this resort island, is also part of the areas to be demolished.

"The town complains that they lack funds in enforcing the demolition. What we really want is to wait for the approval of the cadastral survey of the DENR and there we will have a basis of where and what area to be demolished. If the DENR would just approve its own cadastral survey then we will be the one to spend money for the demolition of the excess areas," said Aquino, president of West Cove.

The manual demolition started July 19, but the local government could not finish the demolition process due to lack of funds.

The DENR ordered the demolition on parcels of the Boracay West Cove because it allegedly violated some national laws. The West Cove lawyers claimed the DENR did not investigate.

"On the issue of no permit, we have been processing our requirements at the local government from the start, but the local government did not act on it," Aquino further said.

Boracay being eyed to host an oceanarium

Boracay Island, Aklan- Aklan Governor Carlito Marquez revealed plans for an oceanarium and a new 5,000 room hotel in Boracay.

“Before I leave the province, the Manila Ocean Park has expressed interest in putting up an oceanarium while the San Miguel Corporation has pledged to build a hotel with 5,000 rooms in the soonest possible time. This would provide job oppurtunities in the province of Aklan,” he said.

Marquez, who will be leaving the provincial seat soon, said that more investors for Boracay are in the offing.

Marquez, who is in his last term as governor, is seeking election as first nominee of the reelectionist Kasanga Party List in the forthcoming 2013 elections.

He also bared that although it is two months away before December, Boracay has recorded 920,000 visitors for this year. This means that this resort island is just short of 80,0000 to reach its one million mark for its target number of tourists for the year 2012.

Because  of this, the Aklan provincial government had extended its target to 1.2 million tourists for this year.

3 Taiwanese drown in central Philippines

BORACAY ISLAND- Three Taiwanese tourists drowned and 27 others were rescued after their boat capsized off the central Philippine resort island of Boracay on Wednesday, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.

The authorities said the incident happened around 1:30 p.m. local time when the boat with 30 Taiwanese tourists on board capsized on the rough sea.

According to PCG, 27 Taiwanese tourists were rescued, but 3 others, identified as Chen Sso Ching, 2, Chang Hai Ling, 48 and Lei Yu Mei, 71, died.

Mei died on the spot, while Ching and Ling were declared dead after they had been sent to a hospital, PCG said.

Some 30 Taiwanese rescued in C. Philippines

Boracay Island- Some 30 people from Chinese Taiwan were rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard Wednesday afternoon after they went into boat hopping in this tourists island.

Authorities said that the incident happened around 1:30 pm off Tabon Sea in the Central Philippines.

This writer who was at the scene of the incident witnessed a small child and a Taiwanese woman both unconscious and were being carried into an ambulance. 

Based on authorities initial investigation, the Taiwanese tourists were onboard the motor banca known as Allan's Pantor when heavy waves sanked them. The Taiwanese tourists reportedly arrived here Tuesday for vacation.

Earlier in the day, two Filipino college students died and three others were in serious condition after they drowned at the front beach of Boracay island.

Both the Taiwanese and the Filipino victims were brought to the Dr rafael S. Tumbukon Memorial Hospital (DRSTMH) in Kalibo, Aklan province for medical treatment.

Boracay Island to host int'l beach volleyball games

BORACAY ISLAND - This resort island will once again play host to the Boracay Beach Volleyball Open on November 16-18, 2012.
The annual event now on its second year is organized by the Philippine Hotel Reservation Service (PHRS) based here.
The organizer said that they expect the event to be another success like last year which was attended by around 3,000 spectators, visitors and registered players from Brazil, Canada, USA, Qatar, Sweden and Germany.
This year's tournament is composed of three divisions namely the Philippine Beach Volleyball Association National Championship (competitive), the San Miguel Fun Cup, and the Mixed Quattro Division which is open to both recreational and competitive volleyball enthusiasts.
Organizers said that this annual event is their contribution to the Department of Tourism (DOT) slogan, "It’s More Fun in the Philippines," and at the same time promote physical fitness and sustainable tourism.

DENR confiscates endangered hornbill in Boracay

BORACAY ISLAND, Aklan- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Philippine Initiative for Conservation of Environment and the People Incorporated (Philincon) confiscated on Tuesday a writhed-billed hornbill (Aceros waldeni) caged in a mini zoo owned by a German national.
Dr. Enrique Sanchez Jr., national president of the non- government organization, said that the German national, a resort owner here, surrendered the bird after weeks of negotiation. The confiscation is supported by the DENR.
"The colorful writhed-billed hornbill has been considered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to be one of the critically endangered species in the Philippines," said Sanchez.
He said the hornbill is already considered extinct in the island provinces of Negros while it is believed that only few remains in Panay Island.
The hornbill locally known as "dulungan" or "kalaw" is being sold by poachers between P3,000-P6,000 each depending on its size.
"Upon confiscation, we will document first the hornbill and we expect to release the same bird to the forest of Antique hoping that it would grow its number," said Sanchez.
Different German funding agencies are providing local livelihood for Antique residents by paying them certain fees for guarding hornbill nests. The German national said he did not know that said hornbill is endangered, thus, he decided to take care of it inside his mini zoo.
Some resorts here have been maintaining a mini zoo as an added attraction to their resorts.
Aside from the German national, DENR is also targeting mini zoos owned by some Korean nationals.
Because the hornbiill is critically endangered, the DENR does not give a permit to anyone who wants to take care of it.

Boracay Beach Management Program key to “Best Island” award

Boracay Island was recently named the “World’s Best Island” for 2012 by Travel + Leisure magazine, beating hall-0f-famers such as Bali (Indonesia), Galapagos, the Great Barrier Reef Islands (Australia), Santorini (Italy), and the Hawaiian Islands of Maui, Kuai and the Big Island. Readers were asked to rate the following characteristics for the Islands category: Natural attractions, activities/sights, restaurants/food, people, value, and romance (optional).  Tourism figures have been similarly impressive: for the first half of 2012, foreign tourists to the island have reached 700,000, representing a 41% surge over previous year statistics.

One of the key factors for the international acclaim that Boracay is now reaping is the two-year old Boracay Beach Management Program (BBMP), a multi-sectoral initiative for the protection, sustainability and enhancement of the island’s coastal and marine resources. Malay Mayor John P. Yap, who recognized the importance of pursuing a comprehensive strategy among various stakeholders, launched the BBMP in September 2010. This is embodied in the rallying cry: “Para Sa Boracay Ako! For Boracay I Will…”

Now set to celebrate its 2nd year anniversary on Saturday, 29 September 2012, the BBMP is also celebrating major milestones in its seven priority areas:

Local Governance.  With strong leadership and political will, Malay Mayor John P. Yap has pushed for legislation to ensure beach cleanliness. Visitors and residents are reminded to observe municipal ordinances against littering, smoking, extracting sand and pebbles, etc. At the start of 2012, Mayor Yap led various LGU officers in a planning alignment workshop to formulate a program that will further enhance the “Boracay Experience” for tourists and locals alike.

Coastal Resources. Volunteer groups continue to perform regular beach and underwater cleanup drives. Artificial reef domes are being deployed and monitored in strategic areas to revitalize marine and aquatic life along Boracay’s waters. New coral growth from the coastal 
nurseries are being transplanted to degraded reef areas, while mangrove swamps continue to be protected.

Watershed. Under the National Greening Program, Boracay’s CENRO (Community Environment & Natural Resources Office) is committed to planting an additional 120-hectares in the watershed areas to prevent soil erosion and improve water yield for safe and potable water on the island. This is in addition to the 428-hectares of forest plantations that have been established since 2008.

Water and Waste Water.  Boracay’s water is certified to be safe for drinking straight from the tap, with meticulous testing to ensure that it is 100% compliant with the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water (PNSDW). It has also recently upgraded its sewage treatment facilities, where wastewater is treated to be safe for marine life and suitable for recreation activities upon discharge, complying with the Class SB Standard of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Solid Waste. Boracay now has three new dump trucks for more effective garbage collection, while the materials recovery facility continues to improve the processing of residual waste. A sanitary landfill is being built as a more long-term solution to solid waste management. 
Hazard Protection.  Young and dynamic volunteers man the Boracay chapter of the Philippine National Red Cross. Trained personnel, new sea patrol craft, and upgraded communications equipment all ensure that the island has sufficient capabilities to respond to emergencies and assist in disaster relief.

Information, Education & Communication.  Workshops, seminars and training programs have been designed for the local government units to improve quality services among all tourism frontliners and ensure that tourists have a memorable “Boracay Experience.”  Social media is also being used to reach out to a wider audience through the Facebook page:www.facebook.com/ForBoracay. Recently the BBMP Communications Group was also formed to publish a regular newsletter that will provide regular updates about BBMP activities.

With its previous experience in the United Nations Development Programme's Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) framework, Petron played a key role in facilitating the formation of the BBMP.  Starting out with a handful of members from the local government units, national government agencies, community organizations, youth groups and the private sector, the Boracay Beach Management Council (BBMC) now counts about 30 proponents.

The BBMP, in a span of only two years, has become a transformative force on the island of Boracay. It is a perfect example of how a dynamic public-private partnership has worked together to create the “World’s Best Island” through environmental excellence and sustainable development.

The BBMP proponents include:  The Municipality of Malay, Aklan; San Miguel Corporation; Petron Corporation; Petron Foundation Inc.; Provincial Government of Aklan; Department of Environment & Natural Resources; Boracay Foundation Inc.; Akelco Boracay; Aklan Provincial Tourism Council; Barangays Balabag, Caticlan, Kabulihan, Manoc-Manoc & Yapak; Boracay Association of Sucba Diving Schools; Boracay Island Hopping Association; Boracay Island Water Company; Boracay Island Special Fire Protection Unit; Boracay Land Transportation Multi-Purpose Cooperative; Boracay Solid Waste Management Team; Boracay Special Tourist Police Office; Boracay Yuppies; Coast Guard Detachment-Boracay; Department of Tourism-Boracay; Islander Boracay; Kiwanis Club of Boracay; Lifeguard Boracay; Malay Auxiliary Police; Malay Farm-C; Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PCCI)-Boracay; Rotary Club of Boracay; YES FM 91.1; 605th MARPSTA (Maritime Police); and 61st 1B 31D PA Task Force Boracay.

Windsurfers to compete in Boracay

BORACAY ISLAND, Philippines- Windsurfers from all over the world will gather here in December to compete in the inaugural "One World Championships."

Organizers said Monday that the event will be staged at Bulabog Beach in the central Philippine province of Aklan from December 10 to 15.

The Bulabog Beach is considered the mecca for windsurfing and kiteboarding in Asia and is regarded as a perfect venue for the event due to its water temperature in December.

Air temperature, meanwhile, is also suitable because of the northeasterly wind locally known as "amihan".

Every year, windsurfers and kitesurfers gather here for the world championships.

"The real advantage that Boracay has over other Asian destinations is the reliability of the north easterly wind. To organize major events, we need reliable conditions and this is what Boracay offers plus an exciting night life off the water," said Neil Pryde, one of the founders of the annual event.

Windsurfers may pre-register before November 12 and are encouraged by organizers to be in Boracay by December 8.