Govt addresses major problems in Boracay

Part One
BORACAY Island—Just give us the order and we’ll “fix” things.
That was what the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Tourism (DoT) have promised to President Duterte, but only if the recommendations they submitted to Duterte would lead to an executive order that would allow these government agencies to fix all the problems in this resort island.

The majority of these problems are flooding and over-population; tricky issues arising despite the local government’s plan to lure more tourists coming to Boracay.

While waiting for the Chief Executive’s signaling, Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon T. Teo said she has instructed the Tourism Infrastructure Economic Zone Authority (Tieza) to fast-track the construction of drainage problem in this resort island. The construction of drainage is being seen solving flood problems in this resort island.

The Tieza has reportedly allocated some P1.6 billion for fast-tracking construction projects on this resort island. The construction of drainage started way back in 2014.

“We in the DoT are working night and day to solve the problems of Boracay in the Duterte administration,” Teo said. “For this year, we are expecting a triple number of Chinese tourists coming to Boracay.”

Flooding, congestion

IN December 2016 this resort island saw the impact of climate change after around 98 percent was flooded due to high volume of rainwater brought about by Tropical Storm Urduja (Kai-tak).
Last year the national government reportedly earned at least P56 billion generated from it 2.1 million tourist arrivals. The said amount was based on the tourism receipts.

In a forum last year, Overall Deputy Ombudsman/Investment Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang mentioned that too many national government agencies are dipping their hands with the development of Boracay.

“Yet, when problem rises, nobody seems are in charge,” Carandang said.

Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu has also said the DENR will spearhead this year’s action to decongest the overpopulation problems in Boracay.

“We conducted an aerial inspection and we found out several structures in no build zone areas. We will be conducting an inventory for all the structures and will ask those violators to explain why,” Cimatu said. “If they are on business and they do not have necessary permits, we will be penalizing them.”

If these actions materialize, the penalty generated will serve as additional sources of revenue for the national coffers of the government, according to local officials.

Business views

WHILE these issues are being discussed, both the Boracay Foundation Inc. (BFI) and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI)-Boracay are restless, saying that they wanted to see “real action” from the government.

“Several presidents had already visited Boracay and they all both promise to fix the problems of Boracay. Now the administration of Duterte is showing the same thing,” BFI President Nenette Aguirre Graf has said. “We want real action now; no more press release!”

PCCI-Boracay Founding Member Elena T. Brugger added that investors in this resort island have poured billions of pesos to ensure investments and lure more tourists.

“The government is earning billions of pesos,” Brugger said. “The government must also invest and spend for the welfare of Boracay.”

It was gathered that the national government is only giving the local government of Malay, a first-class municipality in the province of Aklan, less than 10 percent of the generated revenues annually as Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA).

According to Brugger, Boracay could have been okay now if only the local government of Malay previously heeded the recommendation of the University of the Philippines’s (UP) National Committee on Marine Sciences (NCMS) outreach marine program in 2008.

The NCMS has undertaken several environmental studies in this resort island for several years and gave a copy to the local government, she added.

Headed by UP Marine Scientist Miguel Fortes, the group strongly recommended enhancing what remains of the seagrass at Boracay’s western part, just fronting White Beach. This will reportedly help protect the coast from further erosion and at the same time improve biodiversity.

Tourist hub

JIMMY Maming, spokesman of incumbent Boracay Mayor Ciceron Cawaling, said the local government of Malay is trying to fix the mistakes of the previous administration
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For this year, the local government of Malay is targeting at least 2.2 million tourists. The target was based on the 16-percent increase in tourist arrival to this resort island for 2017.

The DoT also expects more cruise ships coming to Boracay, which had already started in previous years.

In January last year Aklan Gov.  Florencio Miraflores, together with several DoT officials, went to the United States to meet with the executives of the international cruise line Royal Caribbean Cruises Inc. Miraflores justified the trip as leading to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) toward making Boracay an international cruise- ship hub destination.

Niven Maquirang, jetty port Administrator, said the MOU eyes a three-year to four-year process to be funded through the private-public partnership scheme.

Maquirang said Royal Caribbean will fund the development, which will include a berthing and terminal facility, eyed to support the growing number of cruise arrivals in the island.

With the hub development, Maquirang said that a cruise-and-fly concept is also targeted to be started in Boracay.

‘Cruise and fly’

THROUGH the “cruise and fly” concept, tourists will fly to Boracay, stay on the island for one or two days and transfer to their next destination via cruise.

The cruise-ship hub, according to Maquirang, will help generate jobs and, likewise, boost income for Aklanon producers and from nearby provinces.

“The proposed cruise port in Boracay will also be used as transit point to other Western Visayas areas like Sicogon in Iloilo,” Maquirang said. Royal Caribbean is one of the biggest contributors to Boracay cruise tourism. Legend of the Seas, one of its cruise lines, is among the earliest that included Boracay as its port of call in the country.

Aside from being a beach destination, Boracay is also considered a major cruise destination in the country and is part of the Turquoise Triangle. This area includes Manila and Palawan.

Last year Boracay retained its recognition as one of the best beach in the world by the international magazine Conde Nast Travel. The “Poor Travellers” web site also named Boracay as one of the top 10 best places in Asia for children. Boracay is also becoming a gaming capital of the country, with the anticipated entry of Chinese gaming firms.

To be continued