Boracay photographers urged to get NBI clearance

 Officers and members of the Boracay Photographers Association (BPA) are now being required to obtain a clearance from National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) before applying for a business permit here.

Ernesto Cruz, president of the BPA, said that the move is to ensure that working photographers in this resort island are free from the practices of illegal drugs and terrorism.

"We support this new scheme. However, photographers still should go to Roxas City and Iloilo City as there is no NBI Office in Aklan," Cruz said on Friday.

The BPA has around 250 active members. Their business is to shoot photos on weddings and events. Before, a BPA member is only required to have a barangay and police clearance.

It was gathered that each person engaging into photography in this resort island has to pay around PHP5,000 worth of government permits. Also, they are required to pay another PHP5,000 as BPA membership.

Jimmy Maming, executive assistant to the Malay mayor, said that the BPA is the sole recognized photographers' association in this resort island.

"For event photographers outside Boracay, the event organizers are required to include their photographers in the permitting section with an assurance that photographers are not engaging into terrorism and illegal drugs," Maming said.