10 Aklan public safety police to be deployed in Marawi

 At least 10 policemen from the Public Safety Battalion of the Aklan Provincial Police Office (APPO) are expected to be deployed to Marawi City before this week ends.

SPO1 Nida Gregas, public information officer of APPO, said the policemen were part of the 114 policemen from Western Visayas to be deployed.

"We do not know what will be their primary duty when they go to Basilan. They are currently preparing for the official send off in Iloilo anytime," she said in an interview Wednesday.

APPO members had been previously deployed during the series of international meetings such as the Asia Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) and the ASEAN meetings in Iloilo and Boracay Island.

"The 10 policemen had been highly trained. We believe in their capability as policemen," she said.

Meanwhile, the deployment of ten policemen from the APPO is not considered a loss to the tight security being implemented in Boracay Island, Gregas said.

"We have sufficient police personnel in Boracay," she said.

Heritage advocate urge to trace Kalibo meteorite

A local heritage advocate is urging the local government of Kalibo town, Aklan province to trace what happened to the meteorite that fell more than 100 years ago.

Jess Fernandez, founder of RoAkeanon community, said that scientific journals have published that a meteorite weighing 2.4 kilograms fell in Kalibo on May 26, 1916.

Scientific journals dubbed it as the “Calivo Meteorite.”

The meteorite, which landed with the coordinates of 11° 45’N, 122° 20’E of Kalibo, is classified as an Achondrite stone.

“I hope the local government of Kalibo will find a team to locate where the meteorite fell,” Fernandez said.

“If found, it could be another tourism lure for Kalibo,” Fernandez added.

The said meteorite find is also one of the 50 approved meteorites in the world according to the Meteorological Society, the International Society for Meteorites and Planetary Science.

More CCTV cameras sought for Boracay

 Additional security cameras are sought for this world-famous beach destination.

The local government of Malay is planning to purchase more closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.

Rowen Aguirre, Boracay Island administrator, said that Malay Town Council has given Mayor Ciceron Cawaling authority to purchase CCTV cameras that will be monitored round-the-clock by a surveillance team.

Boracay only has 18 CCTV cameras that are monitored from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

The additional cameras will not only be used to deter terrorism threats and other crimes, but will also be used for disaster management and emergencies.

Last week, the Joint Task Force Boracay was launched to strengthen measures against terrorism and kidnapping.

The group brings together the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and the Malay local government.

Tags: beach destination, Boracay Island, Joint Task Force Boracay, local government, security cameras, terrorism threats

Help manage Boracay wastes, fast-food restos urged

A municipal councilor in Malay, Aklan wanted fast-food restaurants to help manage wastes in the island resort.

Such establishments contribute huge volumes of garbage dumped at the materials recovery facility, according to Nette Graf, chairwoman of the Sangguniang Bayan committee on environment.

“Before they (fast-food restaurants) came to Boracay, we were already facing problems in waste management,” said Graf. “[Now] our problems continue to pile up.”

Fast-food restaurants in Boracay include Jollibee, McDonald’s, Chowking, Shakey’s, Yellow Cab, Andok’s, and Mang Inasal. KFC reportedly plans to put up a branch in the island.

Graf hopes these establishments would come up with their own sustainable waste management programs.

“As much as possible, we do not want more fast-food chains in Boracay,” she disclosed.

Foreign tourists do not really like them. “They prefer (local) cuisines,” said Graf. “Only local tourists wanted cheap food from fast-food chains.”

While fast-food chains are “somewhat also important,” they are “major contributors to our wastes,” the municipal councilor said./

Why thievery continues in Boracay

Curbing thievery in this island resort is difficult, and it is not merely because the continued rise in the number of local and foreign tourists bodes well for the culprits, according to the police.

Totally getting rid thieves may be a challenge, especially if they are not charged after their arrest, a spokesperson for the Aklan Police Provincial Office said.

A total of 311 theft incidents were recorded in Boracay during the first quarter, Senior Police Officer 1 Nida Gregas said, citing provincial police data.

In 2016 Boracay posted 251 theft incidents in the first quarter, 188 in the second quarter, 201 in the third quarter, and 247 in the last quarter — for a total of 887 incidents.

Aklan police “continue to monitor theft cases in Boracay in the second quarter of this year,” Gregas said on Monday.

According to Gregas, the rising number of tourists is giving thieves a lot of opportunities.

And “although the Boracay police are making arrests, perpetrators continue since the victims, who are mostly tourists, are not interested in filing charges, especially once their stolen items are returned,” she said.

All the police could advise the public is to be vigilant — be mindful of your belongings, especially when swimming at the beach — to avoid falling victims to thieves.

Airport expansion plan puts locals ‘in distress’

Members of a homeowners’ association affected by the planned expansion of the Kalibo International Airport (KIA) are urged to hoist orange banners to show that they are “in distress.”

Orange is a universal color of emergency.

For two years now the Nalook Pook Caano Homeowners’ Association (Napocacia) has been complaining about the “unjust” and “non-uniform” rates offered by the Department of Transportation.

The planned airport expansion is expected to breach farmlands owned by the Napocacia members.

“Around 800 tenants will be affected,” said Napocacia president German Baltazar. “The expansion may cover some 326 hectares, mostly farmlands.”

“The raising of orange banners is a sign of our collective protest and sentiment,” he added.

According to Baltazar, Malacañang has already heard their lament.

“We have representatives who attended a forum of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor in Iloilo,” he said. “They said representatives from the National Economic and Development Authority and the Department of Agrarian Reform will come over for a dialogue with the affected farmers.”

Still, Napocacia members were told to prepare for any possible harassment before the planned dialogue.

Four tenants already received documents pertaining to expropriation cases lodged against them at a regional trial court here.

“We are not against the government or the expansion of the Kalibo International Airport,” said Baltazar. “We only want a transparent lot negotiation and unified prices among the affected tenants.”

GoNegosyo Center expected in Boracay

The Department of Trade and Industry-Aklan is preparing for the establishment of GoNegosyo Center in this resort island.

Carmen Iturralde, chief of the DTI-Aklan, said that Boracay would host the ninth GoNegosyo center to be established in the province.

Other GoNegosyo centers in the province are located in Kalibo, Lezo, Makato, Malinao, Numancia, Ibajay, Libacao and Altavas.

"This will be an opportune time for the Boracay residents and small and medium entrepreneurs to start their business and enjoy the benefits being provided for by the government," she said.

The GoNegosyo centers in the province are being supported by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Aklan, among other sectors.

The Boracay center is expected to be inaugurated on May 8.