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.

Tawag sa Tangalan 2

11 South Koreans in Boracay under monitoring

The Provincial Health Office (PHO) has asked the local government of Malay, Aklan to monitor at least 11 South Koreans who came from the novel coronavirus-hit city of Daegu.

Dr. Cornelio Cuachon of the PHO said the South Koreans admitted that they recently traveled to Daegu, South Korea, which has an alarming number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases.

The Associated Press reported Thursday, February 27, that South Korea now has a total of 1,766 confirmed Covid-19 cases. Of the total, 505 cases were reported just Thursday. Most of the new cases were in Daegu, where the outbreak has hit hardest.

"The 11 South Koreans arrived here February 25 since there is not yet restrictions on their coming. They go directly to Boracay for their vacation. If any of them manifests signs of cough nor fever, they will be admitted to our quarantine facility at the Aklan Training Center in Kalibo for two weeks," Cuachon said.

He added that some of the 11 Koreans were scheduled to depart Boracay on February 28, while others will leave on February 29.

The Kalibo International Airport has direct flights to at least three cities in South Korea.

Taal ashfall eyed as soap ingredient

The Boracay Women Producers Cooperative (BWPC) plans to ask the Department of Science and Technology in helping them gather the ashfall produced by the Taal Volcano last month.

A cooperative in the world-famous Island, BWPC claimed that that the ash fall could serve as an ingredient to the soap they are projecting to produce.

The Taal volcano recently produced tons of ashfalls in the provinces of Cavite, Batangas and in Mindoro.

“Right now, we are using the powdered drift wood as main ingredients for our soap. We sell the soap to several resorts here,"according to Maria Ninfa Desiree Segovia, chairman of the BWPC.

So far, the cooperative uses debris from fallen trees and branches brought by Typhoon Ursula in December last year as ingredients. Rain water is also utilized as part of the process.

According to the website volcanicearth.com, ashfall benefits the skin. Among those cited were blood disenfection; bile secretion; aid oxidation reactions in the body; protection of protoplasm cells and synthesis of collagen (one of the main proteins needed for the structural integrity of the skin)./

Loveanog: The love potion of Boracay

The Boracay Women Producers Cooperative (BIPC) has produced a love potion a person can use "to make someone fall in love" with him or her.

Desiree Segovia, BIPC president, said they call the product Loveanog, a fermented wine made from coconut and juice of tropical flowers such as hibiscus and blue ternate.

The BIPC has hundreds of female members who are mostly residents of Boracay.

"The Loveanog has been fermented and made through the help of a chemist coming from the University of the Philippines," Segovia said.

It is considered a love potion because whenever someone drinks it, he or she would have an appetite to eat. A person will not also feel a hangover after drinking it.

"At first, we try to make it for tuba, however, after our exploration of the product, we decided to use lambanog," Segovia said.

The ingredients used in the production of Loveanog came from the cooperative's organic farm.

The BWPC started to produce the Loveanog as their means of livelihood when Boracay was closed for six months for rehabilitation in 2018.

A bottle of Loveanog, which is 350 ml, costs P150. It has three flavors, namely: Blue Ternate Infuse, Gumamela Infuse, and Blue Ternate.

Last year, the BIPC received support from the Department of Science and Technology, Department of Labor and Employment, and Philippine Gaming Corporations, among others.