Boracay dry run: More workers than tourists

ILOILO CITY, Philippines  —  Six months after it was shut down for rehabilitation, Boracay reopened for a dry run, but only a handful of tourists came to enjoy the resort island.

On Monday, the first day of the 10-day dry run, only 28 tourists reportedly visited the island.

The figure was even lower yesterday, the second day of the dry run, according to Niven Maquirang, port manager of the Caticlan-Cagbang Jetty.

“As of 3 p.m. yesterday, only 19 tourists entered Boracay,” Maquirang said, adding registered tourists have made bookings in compliant hotels.

On the first day, though, port management recorded 1,319 individuals entering the island for various transactions.

“They are individuals who visited the island for personal transactions like going to the bank or participating in the Aklan Day Salubungan,” he added.

On the second day, 323 persons arrived.

While there was an insignificant number of tourist arrivals, workers came in hordes at

4,408 on Oct. 15 and 1,652 the following day.

“Workers were apparently called back in preparation for the Boracay reopening on Oct. 26,” Maquirang said.

Boracay residents who entered the island on Oct. 15 numbered 1,537 and 1,652 the next day.

The anticipated reopening of the island to tourists is a welcome relief for residents and workers, according to Rowen Aguirre, executive assistant for Boracay Affairs of Malay town.

“Residents will now have better livelihood and establishments could now go back to business,” Aguirre said, although he admitted the island-resort needs to catch up following its six-month closure.

He expressed optimism that the rehabilitated Boracay could lure tourists anew.

Meanwhile, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat urged tourists to dispose of their trash properly so the six-month closure and rehabilitation of Boracay would not be in vain.

Photos showing trash like paper cups littering  the island circulated on social media on Monday.

“We closed the island for six months. It would be a pity if it returned to its old form because of irresponsible tourists,” Puyat said in an interview with One News.

She said all guidelines like the no littering policy would be strictly enforced, but the government needs the help of the private sector.

“Please help us also because we are all in this together. We need to help each other to keep the island clean,” Puyat said.

Private firms like Cebu Pacific donated trash bins that would be placed all over the island to encourage proper trash disposal.

“No more excuses to litter. Throw your trash in the garbage bins, where they belong. Keep our beaches clean and pristine,” Puyat said.

Aside from the trash incident, Puyat said the first day of the dry run went well.

Prepared

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu assured the public that the government is prepared to address any problem that may arise during the dry run for the reopening of Boracay island.

Cimatu said policies and interventions intended to protect Boracay from unsustainable tourism activities would be put to test from Oct. 15 to 25.

“The point of the dry run is to ensure that everything will run smoothly during the soft opening on Oct. 26,” said Cimatu, who heads the Boracay Interagency Task Force (BIATF) handling the rehabilitation.

While the dry run started smoothly, Cimatu said the BIATF would know on the third day if government interventions are effective. “We will only see the effects and results of all these interventions on the third day after tourist arrivals,” he said.

Cimatu said the BIATF doesn’t want the rehabilitation efforts in the past six months to go to waste.

He cited some environmental interventions that saved Boracay from turning outright into what President Duterte described as a cesspool.

Cimatu said the Environment Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) would continue checking the quality of water discharged from the island’s sewage treatment plants (STPs).

Cimatu insisted that only establishments compliant with the requirements of the DENR, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Tourism were allowed to reopen and operate.

The DENR, he said, would issue environmental compliance certificates (ECC) only to establishments with their own STPs or connected to a service provider, and those that are not within forests or wetlands.

Tourist arrivals of 6,405 per day will be strictly followed. Bookings from accredited hotels will be limited to 1,000 rooms only at any time during the day.

“The BIATF is firm on 100 percent compliance. If you do not comply, you do not operate,” Cimatu said, adding that a change in behavior of the people – locals and tourists – will bring real change to Boracay more than any set policies. – With Catherine Talavera, Rhodina Villanueva

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