Homeless for the Holidays

The New Year looks bleak for about 60 families. Fire hit a densely populated residential area here on Christmas Eve and left them homeless.
More or less 50 houses and business establishments were damaged by the blaze along the main road in Sitio Ambulong, Barangay Manoc-manoc.
Most of the damaged houses were made of light materials.
The affected residents spent Christmas Day – and most likely the New Year, too – at an evacuation center in Barangay Manoc-manoc.
They were relying on food packs, shelter assistance and water supply from the municipal government of Malay, Aklan.
A Muslim community was also affected. Its mosque was partially damaged.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) estimated the damage at P10 million.
BFP’s Special Fire Protection Unit investigators were still trying to determine the cause and the extent of damage as of press time.
No one was reported dead or missing but 10 people — seven men and three women — sustained second-degree burns, lacerations and abrasions.
Sixty-four children were among the displaced.
The fire started at 10:50 a.m. Firefighters declared a “fire out” at 2:45 p.m.
Personnel from the BFP’s Special Fire Protection Unit, Boracay Action Group, Shangri-La Boracay, Boracay Tubi System, Boracay Island Water Company, and the Boracay Fire Rescue and Ambulance Volunteers helped put out the blaze.
Among the business establishments hit were Alevir’s Trading and Sespene Trading.
The Boracay Tourist Assistance Center rerouted the vehicular traffic from the main road to the circumferential road.
The fire also interrupted the electrical power service in the island resort.
Eight houses from the Muslim community were struck by the fire, according to Muamar Faisal Arumpac, president of the Boracay Muslim Community Association.
“The local government of Malay led by Mayor John Yap promised support for the Muslim community,” said Faisal who met with Yap hours after the fire.
Some of the Muslims whose houses got burned sought refuge at the mosque.
Several foreigners also helped put out the fire.
Around 300 firefighters, residents and foreigners responded, according to Lieutenant Commander Randall Parker, an American volunteer for the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary.
“Some of us foreigners who reside in this island resort wanted to preserve the beauty of Boracay,” said Parker.
Meanwhile, business group Boracay Foundation Inc. (BFI) is also appealing for donation to help the fire victims.
“In the true spirit of Christmas, let us all help our community members who lost their homes and all their belongings during the fire that hit Ambulong area,” urged BFI Executive Director Pia Miraflores.

BFP estimates damage at P10M

FIRE struck several houses and business establishments in Boracay Island on Christmas Eve.
The blaze started from along the main road in Sitio Ambulong, Barangay Manoc-manoc, and swept through a 2-hectare property near a Muslim community.
At least 40 houses made of light materials were destroyed, according to initial reports from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).
As of posting time, fire investigators were still trying to determine the cause of the blaze and if there were any injuries or casualties.
The damage was estimated to have reached P10 million, according to the BFP, but investigation was still ongoing.
The fire started at 10:50 a.m. on Thursday. Firefighters declared a “fire out” at 2:45 p.m.
Personnel from the BFP’s Special Fire Protection Unit and volunteer fire brigades responded.
Among the business establishments hit by the blaze were Alevir’s Trading and Sespene Trading.
Amid the fire, the Boracay Tourist Assistance Center rerouted the vehicular traffic from the main road to the circumferential road.
The incident also interrupted the electrical power service in the island resort.

Fire hits Station 3 area in Boracay

A fire is engulfing a residential area at the popular tourist destination of Boracay Island in Malay, Aklan.

Fire officials said the fire broke out at around 11:30 a.m. of December 24, 2015 in the Ambulong residential area near Station 3and has destroyed at least 100 homes.

As of this posting, firemen and fire volunteers are still battling the fire from spreading in other areas in the area. No casualties have been reported.

Boracay still a good tourism potential for 2016

For Boracay tourism, the year 2016 is anticipated as a good year despite several reports that the famous island resort is facing environmental degradation.

Reports by different international and national organizations reveal that Boracay faces flooding and coliform issues.

Aklan Governor Florencio Miraflores said that around ten cruise ships are expected to dock at the Boracay port, the largest of which is scheduled to arrive in January.

"There is also a lot of new tourism facilities that are being constructed. We actually expect we may experience lack of carpenters, masons and the like because of the ongoing construction boom," Miraflores said.

"For 2016, we actually expect more tourists from Kuala Lumpur," he said.

The Aklan Congressional District Office together with the Department of Public Works and Highways are currently building various tourism road access in the province. Several new high-end resorts are also expected to rise next year.

Also, currently the Asia Foundation in cooperation with the Iloilo Business Club is in partnership with the Aklan Provincial Government and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Aklan. They will hold a series of conferences aimed to determine new high-impact road networks for the province.

From January to December 20 this year, Boracay tourist arrivals reached 1,500,070, according to the reports of the Caticlan Jetty Port.

The figure is currently much higher compared to the 2014 tourists arrivals report which is 1,472,352.

For her part, Aklan Vice Gov. Gabrielle Calizo-Quimpo said that Boracay, despite its problems, is still a huge tourism potential and that the Aklan provincial government is bent on pushing for environmental conservation programs.

13th International Body Building tilt in Boracay

 Preparations are now underway for the 13th Philippine Committee of Bodybuilding and Fitness (PCBF) Boracay Body Building Championship at the Ambassador in Paradise in this resort island, December 19.

Georgen Dela Cuesta, organizer of the annual event, said that it will be participated in by PCBF officials, judges and athletes coming from different countries. Oscar Gan, PCBF president from Metro Manila, will also be coming.

"The event was widely known as the Boracay Body Building Championship but it is now being rebranded as the PCBF Body Building Championship as we are now officially accredited by the national committee," said Dela Cuesta.

Aklan Vice Governor Gabrielle Calizo-Quimpo is among those who has confirmed as guest of honor representing the tourism industry of the province.

In 2002, the event was originally created as Mr. Muscular focused only in male physique competition. It, however, evolved as the years passed with an added category on women on physique, bikini and figure.

SP to investigate rampant selling of helmet shells in Boracay

 The Sanguniang Panlalawigan of Aklan is set to investigate the alleged rampant sale of porcelain clams or China Clams and helmet shells in this resort island.

Provincial Board Member Russia Soviet Dela Cruz said these clams are being sold at Php500 each and above depending on their size.

"I was informed that since 2008, the BFAR has already made some confiscations at both Caticlan Airport and the Kalibo International Airport. Volumes of confiscated shells are now pending at the BFAR-Kalibo office," said Dela Cruz.

The BFAR has been prohibiting the sale and keeping of both the China clams and the helmet shells since these are considered endangered.

"Tourists might be turned off with our tourism industry since they are buying these items in Boracay not knowing that it is illegal and then the government will just confiscate them at the airport," said Dela Cruz.

SMC urge more farmers for its cassava assemblers program

 Food and beverage giant San Miguel Corporation (SMC) is looking for more farmers for its nationwide cassava assemblers program.

This was bared by Raymund Britanico, SMC Business Development Analyst, during the Agri Business Forum initiated by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Aklan.

Britanico said that the cassava, which was once considered as the food of the poor, is now considered as the "food of the millennium."

"The cassava is now being globally considered as a survival food in the midst of global warming," he said.

Cassava can be used for manufacturing food for livestock, papers, sweetener, medicines, alcohol, and plywood, among others.

The SMC is looking for farmers and cooperatives who have at least 20 hectares of agriculture land devoted to cassava plantation. The SMC then will contract the farmers as a market with purchase agreement.

Britanico said that the SMC Cassava Assemblers program has contracted 188 assemblers in the provinces of Negros Oriental, Isabela and various provinces in Luzon and Mindanao areas.

It has yielded some 200,000 metric tons of cassava, collectively planted in 58,000 hectares. Farmers of the program earned PHP2.41 billion in 2014 benefiting thousands of farmers in 44 provinces.(

Aklan PB warns of possible food shortage in Boracay due to El Niño

Provincial Board member Soviet Russia Dela Cruz, chairman of the committee on agriculture, warned of possible food shortage in the resort island due to the El Niño phenomenon.

Dela Cruz said that already Boracay has been importing food supply from the provinces of Iloilo, Baguio, Davao, Capiz, and Mindoro among others.

The PAGASA earlier said that majority of the provinces in the country will be affected by the El Niño.

"Currently, the Provincial Board is enacting a budget of some PHP100 million for agriculture for the whole year of 2016. We are also looking at possibly sourcing out a budget from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to be used by the province for mitigation of the El Nino phenomenon," said Dela Cruz.

The provincial government has recently created a task force on El Niño.

"The task force also hopes of purchasing drilling equipment as soon as possible to be used for searching water supply for farmers and as potable water. Currently, farmers who could not be serviced by the National Irrigation Administration are advised to plant agricultural products that are not dependent on water," he said.