Foreign tourist arrivals increasing in Boracay

Foreign nationals fill the gap of tourists coming to this resort island as the country is hands full helping the victims of typhoon 'Yolanda.'

Tim Ticar of the Department of Tourism-Boracay said that Chinese nationals had already overtaken the South Koreans, the former leading foreign visitors for this month of November.

The DoT however admitted that Boracay experienced low turn out of tourists this year compared to the same period last year.

DoT figures revealed that in November 2012, Boracay registered 86,090 foreign and local tourists. This year's November data indicate that it has only reached 64, 092.

"We still have few days left before the month of November ends and we hope to gather more tourists to surpass that of last year's figure," Ticar said.

Of the current number, 11, 298 of them were Chinese tourists while the Koreans reached 10, 685.

"We have a 16-percent upset for this month for our Boracay tourism industry but what is important is our tourism is still healthy," said Ticar.

Some resorts had also reported booking cancellations because of the onslaught of typhoon 'Yolanda,' he said.

AKELCO starts rotational brownouts for Aklan, Boracay

The Aklan Electric Cooperative (AKELCO) has started implementing a rotation scheme for both residential and commercial establishments here to ensure providing the needed electricity in the province.

AKELCO officials said that they have to implement the power rotation scheme as electricity in the province is still limited because of the devastation by typhoon 'Yolanda.'

Currently, the AKELCO gets its source of electricity from the Global Business Power Corporation (GBPC) which has a diesel power production plant in Nabas and New Washington, Aklan.

The GBPC plant has been a temporary source of electricity as the province is still awaiting from the National Grid Power Corporation (NGCP) to be connected from the usual supply coming from the Visayas Grid. The power grid has been damaged by the super typhoon 'Yolanda.'

GBPC officials earlier promised to restore the electricity in different towns in the Visayas region before Christmas.

Because AKELCO has to rely on the production of the GBPC, it announced that electricity rate may reach P13.87 per kilowatthour for member consumers. The AKELCO has been calling on the consumers to conserve electricity.

The AKELCO is also shutting down electricity from 1 o'clock in the morning to 5 o'clock in the afternoon daily as part of its conservation measure.

Missing Estonian tourist found in Boracay

Another tourist who went missing during the onslaught of typhoon 'Yolanda' was found in this resort island, according to the Department of Tourism (DoT).

This developed after the Boracay Redevelopment Task Force reported to the DoT that they had located Lasse Hanman, 30, Estonian national, in the island. Hanman was considered missing based on the reports submitted to the DoT by the consulate of the Republic of Estonia.

Hanman was the seventh foreign national reportedly found by the DoT so far. The DoT reported at least 47 foreign tourists reported missing all over the country when typhoon Yolanda ravaged Visayas and Mindanao regions recently.

Earlier, at least six Swedish national who were earlier reported missing were later located in this resort island.

Aside from Boracay, the DoT is now trying to find the other "missing" foreign nationals in other tourism destinations such as Cebu, Palawan, among others.

Operatives of the Boracay Tourists Action Center of the Philippine National Police and the Boracay Redevelopment Task Force had helped in finding the missing foreign tourists.

Boracay continues to be tourism attraction

This resort island continues to become a top tourism drawer despite the onslaught of super typhoon Yolanda over the weekend.

Tim Ticar of the Department of Tourism-Boracay said that at least 6,0000 foreign and local tourists were stranded at the resort island when the typhoon struck.

"So far we received no complaint from any tourist a manifestation that local government did their job well in disaster management. I believe the tourists understood what happened and so Boracay continuously operates as a tourism destination," Ticar said.

Although disaster officials reached the target of the zero casualty for Boracay, the typhoon damaged part of the Tambisaan port, one of the vital infrastructures in this resort island.

Ticar said that strong waves brought by the typhoon initially damaged the layout of the port.

The Tambisaan pier is being used as entry and exit points by the tourists during "habagat (southwest monsoon)".

Caticlan Jetty Port now closed to tourists

The Caticlan Jetty Port considered as the gateway for tourists coming to this resort island has been declared closed in anticipation of typhoon "Yolanda".

At least three 40-seater boats are now operational to ferry to and from Caticlan the stranded passengers. Jetty port officials are not anymore accepting tourists coming from the Kalibo International Airport (KIA).

The operation of motorized vehicles has been limited as motor boat operators especially those having huge ones have already sought shelter in nearby coves and distant seas to protect their vehicles from the onslaught of the typhoon.

Because of this, passengers that may be stranded at the KIA are advised to check in at the Kalibo hotels. They are also encouraged to seek shelter at the evacuation centers in Kalibo.

PDRMMO officials also recommend that stranded passengers take immediate return flights to Manila.

Aklan gov fears storm surges in Boracay

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRMMO) is worried on the possibility of storm surges in this resort island to be brought about by typhoon "Yolanda", which is expected to strike here on Friday.

During the PDRRMO meeting Wednesday afternoon, Governor Florencio Miraflores said that based on the typhoon track, coastal communities in the province including this resort island may experience storm surges to as high as 4.5 meter.

The PDRMMO is set to convene with the local government units of the different coastal communities including Boracay on Thursday morning to discuss the worst case scenario.

Also included in the meeting were representatives from the Kalibo International Airport (KIA), Caticlan Airport and the Caticlan Jetty Port.

"I hope tourists would not push through with their planned vacation this Friday where weather condition is expected to worsen," said Miraflores.

The PDRRMO hopes to encourage tourists via KIA to stay in Kalibo, while in Caticlan to stay at the jetty port once typhoon hits the province on Friday.

More Russians seen arriving in Boracay

The Aklan Provincial Tourism Council (APTC) welcomes more Russians going to Boracay until 2014.

Roselle Ruiz from the APTC said that 130 Russians arrived at the Kalibo International Airport (KIA) last November 1. They were on board the Yakutia Airlines direct from Russia.

"The Russian chartered flights are scheduled to arrive here once in every two weeks until April 2014," said Ruiz.

Tourism officials considered this event as an opportunity since Philippines is rarely visited by the Russians flag carrier. The event was reportedly considered as "trending" by the World of Aviation Fanatics.

"It is already a big boost for the tourism industry in the province," Ruiz said.

Reports from the APTC indicate that Boracay Island has already registered 1.2 million foreign and local tourists from January to October 31 this year.

Task force enforces demolition of illegal structures in Boracay

The Task Force Boracay Redevelopment continues to enforce the demolition of illegal structures at the front beach of this resort island which started Sunday.

Task Force Chairman Glen Sacapano, representing the local government of Malay, said that the demolition was enforced after a 60-day period was given to resort owners who refused to voluntarily comply in destroying their structures at the front beach.

It was President Benigno Simeon Aquino III who ordered for the "clean up" of Boracay to ensure environmental sustainability. Also included in the task force aside from the local government were the Department of Tourism, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippine National Police, Department of Interior and Local Government, among others.

Josmar Lao, one of the affected stakeholders, said consider the enforcement of the demolition as illegal pending the request for issuance of temporary restraining order by the Kalibo Regional Trial Court. The trial court has scheduled the hearing of the request for TRO on November 7.

"They must have awaited for the decision on the TRO that we requested at the RTC," said Lao, adding that the demolished structures are worth P3 million.

Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism distributed Certificate of Compliance (CoC) to the resort owners who complied with the requirements of the task force Tuesday.

The COC received by the resort owners will be used as proof that they are compliant with the government requirement and these will be used as tool for their easy renewal of business permit next year.