Council probes proposed 200-MW pumped-storage hydro project

The Sangguniang Bayan of Malay, Aklan is investigating the alleged illegality of the proposed operation of the 200-megawatt (MW) pumped-storage hydro project of the SMC Global Power Holdings Corp.

Malay Councilor Frolibar Bautista said the council is not objecting the project but against the apparent railroading for the legality of the project.

The SMC Global Power Holdings Corp. obtained permits both from the Department of Energy and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for the Forest Land Use Agreement since 2014.

The project is to be undertaken through the Strategic Development Power Corp. of the SMC.

“Based on our initial investigation, former Malay Mayor John Yap has issued a certificate of no objection for the project sometime in 2016. This, we considered illegal because the project is supposed to pass through the council and should conduct a public hearing,” Bautista said.

Yap could not be reached for comment.

“The council is also planning to ask an explanation from the National Water Regulatory Board [NWRB] to explain to us the project,” he added.

The NWRB earlier conducted a study indicating the Nabaoy River can produce 70 million liters a day of water.

Joy Salibio of the 3Cs Farmers Association said the Strategic Development Corp. in Malay, Aklan said they are worried about the water sustainability in their farms once the project would push through.

The hydro project will be put up at Nabaoy River to supply power to the barangays of Nabaoy, Napaan and Motag.

Jollibee sets ‘chicken bucket’ for mangrove propagules in Aklan

The Jollibee Foods Corp. will officially launch its “Chicken Joy”  bucket program in exchange for mangrove propagules.

In a news forum here, Jen Orven Ariel Zaragoza, Trade Marketing Officer of the Jollibee Foods Corp. Visayas, said each bucket of Chicken Joy sold to the costumers in their four Kalibo branches will help purchase mangrove propagules.

“In 2014 a store in Kalibo started to plant mangroves at the Allen Salas Quimpo Bakhawan Ecological Park. After this, it started to grow, encouraging other volunteer groups to join our tree-planting activity. We are going a notch higher this year by involving our consumers,” he added.

The four Jollibee Foods Corp. branches involved in the said activity were the Citymall Branch-Kalibo, Gaisano Branch-Kalibo, the Jollibee Foods Plaza and the Jollibee Foods Branch at the back of Dr. Rafael S. Tumbukon Memorial Hospital.

Zaragosa said “the bucket for propagule program” will start on October 1 and will end on November 30.

“When one consumer buys a bucket of Chicken Joy from any of our four Kalibo branches, he will be given a sticker to place his name. He will then stick it on a signboard dedicated to the ASQ Bakhawan Eco-Park,” he added.

After November 30 Jollibee will be scheduling another tree-planting activity under the program.

Medalyn Cuadra of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources said Jollibee Foods Corp. has coordinated with their office and the Kalibo Save the Mangrove as partners.

The company will be buying the mangrove propagules from the DENR at P1.50 each.

“On September 30, Jollibee together with some volunteer groups will plant 1,000 mangrove propagules to our sprawling 220-hectare plantation. It will be the official launch of Jolibee’s Chicken Joy bucket for propagules,” Cuadra said.

Stronger defense vs Boracay fire incidents urged

Members of the local crisis committee sees more defense is needed against fire incidents as this resort island’s economy continues to grow due to its booming tourism industry.

Fire Inspector Sidgie Gerardo, chief of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Boracay, said the fire that hit the local seafood market on Monday morning damaged goods initially placed at
P10 million.

The fire ithat took place in Sitio Mangayad, Barangay Balabag,  Boracay Island, damaged seafood stalls, restaurants and souvenir shops. The fire lasted around four hours.

“The amount may continue to rise as our investigators are still assessing the incident. The fire started in a restaurant,” he said.

He added that  it took firefighters that long to control the fire because of the crowded establishments and narrow roads leading to the fire scene.

Mike Labatiao, a consultant of the Aklan provincial government on security, said he hopes every resort in Boracay would place their respective water outposts and fire hydrants.

“I would recommend to the Aklan provincial government that each resort must place water outposts. I also saw huge improvements in our crisis management as every sector had to do their respective jobs well. The traffic was put into order; firefighters responded in time. It was a job well done,” said Labatiao, who attended the crisis committee meeting held at the Boracay Regency Hotel.

Sources said because of the fire incidents, several employees—mostly waitresses and staff­—had to be displaced by their employers as the damaged establishments take time to rebuild.

Randall Parker, an American expat and a coast guard auxiliary volunteer, said he opened his Boracay Crown Beach Hotel as a temporary shelter for fire victims for free.

“At least four families availed themselves of free rooms at my hotel. I am not allowed to showcase them for publicity, but hearing the stories of the fire victims. They deserve respite,” he said.

The Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office of Malay, Aklan, recorded at least 135 families displaced by the
fire incident.

Relley David, one of the owners of the burned establishments, said this is the third time his stall was gutted by fire.

“I had to rebuild again,” he said.

Boracay D’ Talipapa fire displaces 135 families

Over 135 families have been displaced after fire gutted their houses in Barangay Balabag, the Malay Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) report showed.

The fire started around 4:40 a.m. yesterday at the wet market, known as D’ Talipapa, initial investigation revealed.

The cause of the fire has yet to be known.

Affected families were composed of 274 children and 224 adults, the MSWDO said.

The fire also destroyed souvenir shops, boardinghouses and food chains, among others.

The Bureau of Fire Protection of Boracay and Tangalan and Ibajay towns responded to the area.

A “fire out” was declared around 12 p.m.

No casualty was reported.

Mayor Ceciron Cawaling called the crisis management committee to look into the incident.

The affected residents evacuated to the barangay halls of Balabag and Manoc-Manoc.

The Boracay Island Special Fire Protection Unit was still investigating the blaze./

Boracay anti-terror measures boosted

Several foreign governments have pledged to assist anti-terrorism measures being put up at the resort island of Boracay in Malay town.

Boracay Island Administrator Rowen Aguirre said the United Kingdom and United States are willing to help the joint task force organized this year that aims to combat terrorism threats in the country’s premier beach destination.

“They have offered to help us in what we need. It may be in the form of training, donating firearms or other equipment for crisis management,” Aguirre said.

The Joint Task Force Boracay held several simulation exercises last week to test the responsiveness of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the crisis management team of Malay to respond to terrorist activities or emergencies.

Earlier this year, China donated an ambulance to Boracay.

Task force to hotel managers: ‘We’re ready for terror attacks’

(note: the video uploaded was just part of the drill by the joint task force: Boracay)

This island’s Joint Task Force assured general managers of several hotels that it was ready to respond to terror attacks.

The hotel managers were invited to watch the task force’s crisis management simulation at the Savoy Hotel in the Newcoast Station on Sept. 12.

Carmen Villanueva, general manger of the Fairways and Bluewater Newcoast Boracay, said the island’s preparedness for terror attacks was their top concern.

The managers said an episode of terrorism can “downgrade the tourism industry in Boracay.”

But after seeing the drill, Villanueva and other hotel managers were “convinced that the island security enforcers are ready to respond during an attack.”

“I will encourage other stakeholders to announce that Boracay is indeed safe,” said Villanueva, who was made to comment after the drill.

Wesley Van der Voort, a European hotel manager, said he will “spread the word” to his co-members in the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Boracay.

Representatives of the Shangri-la Resort and Spa Boracay, Crimson Resort and Diamond Water Sports, among others, attended the simulation.

The Joint Task Force members include the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Boracay Action Group, Philippine Coast Guard, and the local government of Malay, among others.

On the other hand, Peter Tay, a Filipino-Chinese volunteer of the Philippine Coast Guard, said Chinese tourist arrivals in the island will double in 2018.

“Right now, there are seven regular flights from China to Boracay. Next year, we can expect that there will be 14 flights from different provinces of China,” Tay said.

For his part, Lieutenant General Oscar Lactao, commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Central Command in Cebu City, said there was no terror threat in Visayas.

“All we wanted to do was to make everyone vigilant in Boracay,” Lactao said. “The residents of Bohol were vigilant enough to immediately inform the authorities about the presence of armed men in their area.”

Three Aklan towns vying for cityhood

The province of Aklan still has no city and at least three of its towns are looking to become one. They are the capital town of Kalibo, Malay and Nabas.

Nabas Mayor James Solanoy said they may also soon start planning to develop the town to become a city because of their fast economic growth brought about by the booming tourism industry.

Based in the town of Nabas are two multinational corporations. One is expanding the Caticlan Airport.

The Caticlan Airport from adjacent Malay town in Aklan is being operated by the San Miguel Corp. Another company is the Petrowind Energy Corp., a 50-megawatt wind-farm project in the province.

“We initially targeted a P9-million local government revenue for the year 2017. However, just from January to June, we already collected P24 million in local government revenue. This is a huge sign the economic progress of our town is unprecedented,” Solanoy said.

Aside from this, the town of Nabas has also received several requests from other multinational companies to invest in their town. The town is currently classified as a fourth-class municipality.

In June of this year, the Malay Council has revived their bid to become a city.

Malay Councilor Frolibar Bautista said he had already filed a resolution calling for the creation of a technical committee that will serve as a secretariat in preparing documents for the cityhood of Malay.

Boracay, which is under the geographical jurisdiction of Malay, is considered the country’s premier tourism destination.

The town of Kalibo, meanwhile, has been pushing for cityhood since 2007. Kalibo Mayor William Lachica said they still need to fill the requirements of population and geographical area to apply for cityhood.

“Kalibo town is doing its best to be declared a city,” he said, adding the town is famous for Ati-Atihan Festival.

Thank you!

As a form of gratitude to our readers! For a limited time only, we will be providing free information service for all. If you have any questions, concerns about Boracay Island, the premier tourism destination in the Philippines please email us at newsrepublic35@gmail.com Concerns may include tips for accommodation, foods or any services in Boracay.

British embassy assures safety of tourists in Boracay

Representatives of the British Embassy and the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NACTSO) met Wednesday afternoon with local government officials to discuss forging a partnership to establish counter terrorism measures.

Nenette Graf, president of the Boracay Foundation Incorporated (BFI) said the representatives also met with BFI officials.

The British delegation also held a separate security meeting with the local government officials of Malay, Aklan and the Task Force: Boracay.

The task force is a combination of units from the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard, the Malay local government, among others.

"The British delegation only told us their best practices in the United Kingdom on counter terrorism measures especially in their business community and tourist areas. We are grateful for their support in Boracay," Graf, is also a member of the Sangguniang Bayan of Malay, told GMA News.

The British embassy brought NACTSO officials in this resort island as the British considered Boracay one of their favorite tourism destination in Asia.

Local officials maintained that there was no terrorism threat in Boracay.

In the data of the Malay tourism office, the tourism industry of Boracay is not affected by the war against terrorism in Mindanao.

Tourists arrivals in Boracay soared about 23 percent for the month of August 2017 with 144, 064 compared to the 117, 242 of August 2016.

Drug peddlers not locals, Boracay police chief says

 The police chief in this island said most of the drug suspects they arrested were not locals.

Senior Inspector Jose Mark Anthony Gesulga, Boracay Tourist Assistance Center chief, said this was based on the drug operations over the last two months.

Last week, police caught a boatman from Caloocan City and on Sept. 3, a tour guide from Makati City. Both were detained at the island’s lockup facility.

“They carry illegal drugs in their baggage, pockets and even in their underwear,” said Gesulga. “The drugs were from Metro Manila, Batangas and Mindoro.”

Drugs can easily get in the island due to the lack of monitoring facilities, Gesulga said.

“All of them had passed through the jetty port,” the police chief explained. “The X-ray machines at the port can only monitor bombs, bladed weapons and guns.”

Though the entry of illegal drugs in the island was hard to detect, Gesulga said they have been coordinating with the locals to catch suspects through buy-bust operations./

Aklan police wary of travel-insurance fraud perpetrated by foreign tourists

The Aklan Provincial Police Office is wary of the travel-insurance claims fraud as it closely scrutinizes requests for police reports, especially those coming from foreign tourists.

Police Senior Inspector Jose Mark Anthony Gesulga, chief of the Boracay Philippine National Police (PNP), said they have been alarmed because of the increasing number of foreign tourists filing and requesting for a police report.

The police expect more of these incidents piling up since Christmas is nearing and there will be long holidays for tourists. The travel-insurance claims fraud is reportedly common among Chinese and South Korean tourists.

“What we are doing right now is that when a foreign tourist files a police complaint, the complainant should first convince our police investigator that he has been a victim of robbery and snatching. If not, like his phone may have been lost, we still issue a police report but we indicate that it’s not for insurance purposes,” he said.

Gesulga, however, did not reveal how many foreign tourists have been suspected being involved in travel- insurance fraud.

Senior Police Officer 1 Nida Gregas, information officer of the Aklan Provincial Police Office, said that, from January to March this year, the Boracay police has already recorded 311 theft cases. But many of them are believed to be cases of travel-insurance fraud.

Police Senior Inspector Honey Mae Ruiz, acting chief of the Kalibo PNP, said as part of the security preparations this Christmas season they are maximizing the use of closed-circuit television (CCTVs) among commercial and residential centers here.

Currently, the local government of Kalibo is enacting a CCTV ordinance, which mandates large business establishments to install CCTVs. For small and medium businesses, the installation of CCTVs is optional.

“The use of CCTVs has helped us much in solving crimes this year. We have identified and arrested several suspects, especially those involved in robbery cases, because of the CCTV footages,” she said.

Tracker teams to find ‘robber’ in Boracay

The Boracay Tourist Assistance Center under the Philippine National Police formed two tracker teams to locate a robbery suspect who barged in a Dutch national’s house in Sitio Hagdan, Barangay Yapak.

The 63-year-old Ingrid Yolande Van Breemen reported to the Boracay police station with a closed circuit television (CCTV) footage of the actual robbery.

From what the police gathered so far, the house caretaker found Breemen’s bag outside.

“It was already empty,” the caretaker said.

The robber took P6,000 cash, $50 cash and a cellphone, a police report showed.

“The photo of the suspect – identified in the CCTV – was distributed to the intelligence community in Boracay,” said Senior Police Oficer 1 Nilda Gregas. “We believe the culprit is still here.”