Series of brownouts experienced in Boracay

The Aklan Electric Cooperative (AKELCO) said some 8,000 member-consumers in the resort island experienced a series of power brownouts since last week.

Engineer Joel Martinez, head of the engineering department, said the brownouts may be experienced for a month.

"The series of brownouts are being experienced because we have to transfer our electrical posts to give way to the road widening of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). These efforts are part of the environmental rehabilitation of this resort island," Martinez said in an interview.

The series of brownouts started on September 23.

"The brownouts are being experienced 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. in the afternoon Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday. We in AKELCO are doing everything to immediately transfer the poles so that the series of brownouts will not reach the one month target," he said.

Because of this, resort and hotel managers are using generator sets to power up their establishments.

Last year, President Rodrigo Duterte closed Boracay to tourists for six months to undergo environmental rehabilitation. After the six-month closure, another year and a half commenced to continue what has been started.

Arson case in Boracay resort reaches stalemate

The owner of the controversial Westcove Resort is looking for other possible legal remedies to seek justice on what he claimed as an arson case.

Crisostomo Aquino, owner of Westcove, said the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor recently dismissed the arson case he filed against Rowen Aguirre, former Malay executive assistant at the Provincial Prosecutor's Office last year.

Aquino accused government personnel of burning the main building of the resort last April 28, 2018, however, Aguirre denied the allegation.

The Westcove Resort has been ordered closed last year by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for lack of business permits.

The resort owner said they have been consistent in paying taxes, and that the local government is denying in giving them permits they need to legally operate.

Aquino said that there are inconsistencies with the government report after he received documents coming from the national headquarters of the Bureau of Fire Protection indicating that the resort has been deliberately burned.

In a three-page report May 14, 2019, Chief Superintendent Felixberto Abrenica, national director for Intelligence and Investigation, said he opined that there is an arson in the said incident.

"This office finds no reason to disturb the facts established in the investigation report. However, based from the totality of the documents contained in the submitted case by the Malay Municipal Fire Station, affidavit of witnesses and the apparent lack of any other competent ignition source. This office opines that the fire incident is considered a case of arson," said Abrenica.

Use of Tetra Pak as alternative to plastics introduced

TETRA Pak Philippines has officially launched its nationwide campaign that urges people to use Tetra Pak as alternative to plastics.

The launching happened during the conduct of Boracay Food Safety and Beverage Carton Recycling Forum at Crimson Resort and Spa in Boracay Island Thursday, September 26.

The company, during the forum, took part in the establishment of the first Used Beverage Carton (UBC) recycling process in the island. Other stakeholders present were the local government of Malay and Boracay Foundation Incorporated.

"Sustainability is our key priority. By continuously initiating recycling value chain process and recognizing the importance of our relationships with our partners -- the collectors, recyclers, customers, government, communities, schools and other stakeholders -- we aim to drive low carbon circular economy across Southeast Asia and that includes the island of Boracay and the whole Philippines. Through this movement, we stand by our commitment to protect food, people, and the future," said Michael Wu, managing director of Tetra Pak Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines and Indonesia.

Tetra Pak aims to take proactive and pioneering approach to make sure cartons are collected, sorted and recycled so that UBCs can continue delivering value.

It also aims to reduce waste, keep materials in use and regenerate natural systems.

The UBCs can be down-cycled into paper or upcycled into durable roof, tiles and boards.

The informal sectors will also soon be taught on how to creatively reuse these waste materials through workshops, according to Tetra Pak.

Diane Ibay-Raza,  economic manager, circular economy expert said each Tetra Pak contains 75 percent paper and the rest are polymer and tin cans.

Boracay Newcoast opens second homegrown hotel

SINCE the controversial six-month closure of Boracay Island in 2018, the National Government has been strict on the opening of hotels, as it imposed environmental conservation to the highest standard.

Fortunately for the Boracay Newcoast, it has been able to open the second of its three homegrown hotel brands in its sprawling 150-hectare property, the Belmont Hotel.

The first hotel, Savoy, was opened in 2017, and now the Belmont. Another hotel, the Chancellor, is currently being constructed.

Newcoast's Boracay investment in Belmont Hotel has reportedly reached P2.1 billion.

"Our second hotel under the Belmont brand offers an exclusive nature experience, as it allows guests to see the island's panoramic natural scenery from one building to another -- from the vast sea to the lush mountains and hills of the island and other nearby islands," said Raymundo Melendrez, managing director of Luxury Global Hotels and Leisure Inc., the company operating Belmont Hotel under the Megaworld Hotels Corporation Monday, September 23.

Belmont Hotel Boracay has 442 rooms that feature a wide array of amenities and services that include a swimming pool and in-pool lounge, aqua spa, a courtyard, two food and beverage outlets, landscaped gardens, a fitness center with shower and changing rooms.

It also has a business center, function halls, meeting rooms, a full-time concierge, a 24-hour in-room service, dining service, and complimentary shuttle services.

"Our continuing thrust to help boost tourism in the country is even gaining more momentum as we open more hotels across our tourism township. Geri (Global Estate Resources Incorporated), as the developer of Boracay Newcoast, remains committed to help build our country through tourism developments," said Monica Solomon, Geri president.

Belmont Hotel is the second homegrown hotel brand introduced under Megaworld. It opened in Newport City in 2015. Another Belmont Hotel is set to open in Iloilo Business Park by 2023.

At present, Megaworld has already opened five homegrown hotel brands, namely, Richmonde Hotels, Belmont Hotels, Savoy Hotels, Twin Lakes Hotels, and Hotel Lucky Chinatown with around 3,000 hotel rooms.

In the next five years, the company will also open new homegrown hotel brands in Paranaque, Bacolod, Iloilo, Boracay, and Laguna.

During the first quarter this year, Megaworld's hotel business became the fastest growing segment of the quarter, soaring 56 percent to P574 million compared to last year's P369 million. (

Boracay bans processed meat, canned goods

The Caticlan Jetty Port has urged domestic and foreign tourists not to bring canned or processed goods in coming to this resort island.

In a forum with stakeholders and the media Thursday, jetty port administrator lawyer Selwyn Ibaretta said the measure, however, is only temporary due to the African Swine Fever (ASF) scare all over the world.

“Both the Caticlan Airport and the Kalibo International Airport already has a measures in place prohibiting the entry of these canned and processed meat foods. What we wanted to protect is those going to Boracay via the Strong Republic Nautical Highway and from local transport,” he said.

Tourists usually bring canned and processed meat foods to Boracay as their cheaper source of foods while visiting. Tourists who will bring meat canned and processed foods will be confiscated by the jetty port securities.

Tourists could instead buy canned meat and processed foods at the local stores in Boracay as these passes through strict security screenings. Hotels were also advised not to give their spoiled food for hogs.

In a press conference held after the forum, Ibaretta said they will visit Chinese and South Korean restaurants here to see if they are also actively campaigning against the spread of ASF.

Last week, the Department of Agriculture has monitored ASF cases in Luzon and the province is wary that it could reach the province due to the availability of transport.

Aklan investment, trade center nears completion

 The Aklan Provincial Government is excited over the nearing completion of an Investment and Trade Center which hopes to lure more investors in the province.

Gabrielle Calizo-Quimpo, former congresswoman and now the province’ consultant on tourism and investment said the structure being built at the Aklan Provincial Capitol is now at 70 percent.

The state-of-the-art center which has an allocation of P50 million started its construction last year. Its budget allocation came from the funds of former Sen. Loren Legarda which is then the chair of the committee on finance.

“The center will also include data on fisheries and agriculture which would serve as a one stop shop of information for potential investors in the province and in Boracay Island,” Quimpo said.

The investment center is also planning to lure Business Process Outsourcing in the province.

While the center is being built, several fastfood chains have already expressed their interests in putting up their branches in Kalibo.

Among these companies are Yellow Cab Pizza, Max Restaurant (which includes a conference room) among others.

“They will soon open their branches in Mabini Street, Kalibo. We have already coordinated this with the chief executive of Kalibo,” added Quimpo.

Tourists with night flights urged to leave early

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) urged both foreign and local tourists who have night time flights to check out early.

This after the PCG imposed a permanent policy that wooden hull boats were only allowed to sail from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Because of this, only eight large boats are available to sail on those hours.

The limited availability of the boats makes the long queues of passengers going to and from Boracay at night.

In a copy of the memorandum, Lieutenant Commander Marlower Acevedo, PCG-Aklan station commander, said that they have received a memorandum from the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) to implement such policy.

“In order to uphold the passenger safety among passenger motorbancas and comply with existing Marina regulations, operation of motorbancas with night-time navigation is hereby suspended. The operation of passenger motorbancas will be from sunrise to sunset only,” he said.

The new policy developed in relation to the Guimaras sea tragedy last August which killed several people.