PWDs, senior citizens to get priority in Boracay cruise tourism

The Aklan provincial government is planning to give Persons with Disability (PWDs) and senior citizens a "seamless travel experience" for them to enjoy Boracay.

Provincial board member Jay Tejada, chair of the Committee on PWD, said in an interview Tuesday that he met with Aklan Governor Florencio Miraflores to discuss the plan.

Miraflores recently arrived from a conference attended also by representatives from the Department of Tourism and the Royal Caribbean Cruise Ltd. (RCCL). The conference was held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.

At the conference, the RCCL, DoT and the Aklan provincial government represented by Miraflores forged a Memorandum of Understanding for the improvement of Caticlan "as a cruise ship hub in the country."

Tejada said that Miraflores told him that part of the MOU is to ensure that the Caticlan Jetty Port reaches international standard for cruise ship tourism.

"In the past, we received criticism that Boracay is not friendly to PWDs (and senior citizens). The Aklan provincial government is now starting to take massive action not only because of the urgent need. This is also timely since we are also asked by the national government to enforce the expanded benefits for PWDs," said Tejada, a PWD himself.

Boracay is the Philippines’ third largest cruise ship destination with 29 calls over the last four years. The list is topped by Puerto Princesa with 39 transits and 16 overnight stays, followed by Manila with 48 transits and five overnight stays.