Doctor in Aklan tests positive for Covid-19

A 37-YEAR-OLD doctor is one of the three Covid-19 positive cases in the Province of Aklan.

Dr. Cornelio Cuachon of the Provincial Health Office said Friday afternoon, March 27, that all of the three patients were in stable condition. The two others are senior citizens coming from the hinterland towns of Libacao and Kalibo.

“Contact tracing is now being done to those persons who have been keeping in touch with the patients in the last two weeks,” Cuachon said.

“The frontliner (doctor) is now being treated at the Aklan Provincial Hospital. One of the senior citizens was at the Dr. Rafael S. Tumbukon Memorial Hospital in Kalibo. Another senior citizen is staying at home in Libacao alone,” Cuachon added.

Earlier, the local government unit of Malay, Aklan has temporarily closed the Boracay District Hospital (also known as the Ciriaco Tirol District Hospital) after one of its employees undergoes quarantine.

Aklan Governor Florencio Miraflores suspended all of public transportation in the province until April 14.

Kalibo mayor Emerson Lachica also restricted the entry to Kalibo except for the frontliners and employees with work in Kalibo

Boracay task force cancels LoveBoracay

THE Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force has decided to cancel all the LoveBoracay events.

Undersecretary Benny Antiporda of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said the cancellation was made due to the threat of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

LoveBoracay, which was scheduled April 26 to May 2, features several events such as environment-friendly parties, hammock festival, and beach clean-up among others. The event started last year.

"There are only few tourists coming to Boracay now. We decided to cancel all the related events because of the Covid-19. We ask everyone not to panic," Antiporda said.

The DENR chairs the task force.

The Philippines has a total of 49 confirmed cases of Covid-19 as of Thursday morning, March 12. Two of the confirmed cases have died. The first fatality was a 44-year-old Chinese man who died due to severe pneumonia in February, while the second was a 61-year-old Filipino woman who died at the Manila Doctors Hospital in Manila City Wednesday, March 11.

The World Health Organization declared Thursday, March 12, the new coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic, as it has infected more than 120,000 people around the world and killed more than 4,300. (

Boracay task force awaits DU30’s decision to continue island rehab

The Boracay Inter Agency Task Force (BIATF) is hoping that President Rodrigo Duterte will soon make a decision to whether the group will continue the rehabilitation of the world-famous island.

Al Orolfo, vice chair of the Boracay Inter Agency Rehabilitation Group, which is the management arm of the BIATF, said that they are hoping that Duterte would make his pronouncement soon. The president is expected to visit the famed-island on March 12.

“We will follow the orders of President Duterte,” Orolfo said.

Two years ago, President Duterte signed the Executive Order No. 53 to “reverse the degradation of Boracay” Island,’ to strictly enforce national laws and local ordinances and to implement and oversee policies as the duties of the BIATF.

Under the EO, the task force will be dissolved after two years from May 8, 2018, unless it will be extended by President Duterte upon the recommendation of his cabinet. It is also up to him to transfer to the local government units of Malay, Aklan the full autonomy to manage Boracay Island if the task force will no longer be needed. 

The BIATF is composed of different government agencies such as the Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Public Works and Highways, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, Department of Tourism, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Labor, Bureau of Immigration, among others./

Carriers to cut Kalibo ops as COVID-19 threat persists

As the threat of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) persists, more airline companies have announced further reduction of their operation at the Kalibo International Airport (KIA), according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

CAAP-Kalibo chief Engr. Eusebio Monserate Jr. said KIA will have no more international flights beginning March 8 this year.

Monserate added the global scare of the COVID-19 has prompted various carriers operating at the KIA to halt their services. Some of the airlines that will expand their suspension of flights include AirAsia and Pan Pacific.

Monserate, however, clarified that the suspension is indefinite.

“The CAAP central office has no advisories against any travel ban for now. The cancellation of flights was the decision of the airline companies themselves,” Monserate explained.

The last international flights to bring passengers to the KIA will be coming from Incheon and Busan – both cities from South Korea on March 7.

“There are also chartered flights scheduled on March 23 and 25. From then, we will await for advisories if when the international flights would resume,” he added.

On March 1, a flight was expected to arrive to KIA from Taiwan but was cancelled.

Monserate noted that the KIA will continue to operate their three domestic flights from and to Manila, Cebu and Clark.

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