‘No terror threat in Boracay’

BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO

BORACAY – Domestic and international tourists here are safe, stressed Chief Supt. Cipriano Querol Jr., Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) director.

Even then, Querol deployed 50 more policemen to help the Boracay Special Tourist Police Office secure the tiny, dog-bone shaped, 10.32-square kilometer island.

There is no specific terror threat in the country following the death in Pakistan of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, but members of President Benigno Aquino III’s security cluster are under orders to monitor developments and ensure that necessary precautions are in place to stave off possible retaliatory attacks.

Boracay is the country’s most recognizable tourist destination, attracting foreign and local vacationers.

Statistics generated by the Department of Tourism (DOT) Regional Office 6 showed that visitor head count and tourist receipts in million pesos have been consistently increasing for the last 10 years since year 2001.

Querol said more policemen in Boracay would mean better security for the tourists.
The 50 policemen he deployed came from the Regional Mobile Group based in Negros Occidental. These cops were reassigned to Kalibo, Aklan in January for the Ati-Atihan Festival and had been staying in the town since.

Boracay Island police chief, Supt. Samuel Nacion has ordered his cops to render two shifting duties to ensure the island’s security day and night.

“We have enough men roaming around, plus security guards posted in various beach resorts,” said Nacion.

“So far, Boracay is peaceful. There are no big incidents except for some petty crimes,” he added.

President Aquino ordered the military and the police to be on full alert following the killing of bin Laden.

“The death of Osama bin Laden marks a signal defeat for the forces of extremism and terrorism,” Aquino said.

But Aquino said the death of bin Laden “should not lull us into complacency” even as he called for vigilance
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“Together with my national security team, we continue to take all relevant precautions and steps to ensure the safety of our people. We, as a democratic and free people, remain committed to fighting terrorism and are in solidarity with the peoples of the United Nations,” Aquino added.

The development has prompted the US State Department to issue travel alerts for its nationals.

There are motley of Americans in Boracay but most of the foreigners are Europeans and Asians.

According to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), the vast clear blue sea, powdery white sand, and rays of yellow sunshine are the perfect combination that entice tourists to the world-renowned Boracay, notwithstanding the many other activities and services there such as snorkeling, island hopping, boat sailing, spa and massage resorts.

Defense Undersecretary and spokesman Eduardo Batac said terrorists were certainly planning retaliatory attacks but the Philippines might be far from their minds.

“We know the terrorists will always come up with retaliatory action but as to targeting the Philippines, I think we would be very far in the priority list,” Batac said in a press briefing.

“However, we again caution our people that we have to remain vigilant and alert. It’s the only way that we can combat terrorism,” he said.

This beach capital of the Philippines has never been failed by tourists for the last 10 years, NSCB stressed.

Statistics generated by the Department of Tourism (DOT) Region 6 showed that visitor head count and tourist receipts in million pesos have been consistently increasing in Boracay for the last 10 years since year 2001.

The highest increase in visitor arrivals was in 2004 with 26.3 percent (89,325) and in 2010 by 20.0 percent (130,107). Correspondingly, receipts increased by P1.6 billion in 2004 and P2.4 billion in 2010.

Statistics further showed that in terms of tourist population, Boracay is largely dominated by domestic tourists.

In absolute terms, of the total visitor arrivals (779,666) in Boracay in 2010, 60.81 percent were domestic, 35.72 percent were foreign, and 3.47 percent were overseas Filipinos (OFs).

On the average, 2,136 visitors everyday or 64,972 visitors monthly come to Boracay to soil their feet with powdery-white sand and/or plunge into crystal clear waters and/or roam around the entire island not only for the scene but also to get a feel of being there.

Nowadays, even OFs also include Boracay in their shopping list of places to visit when they come home to the Philippines either for leisure or shopping for investment.
OFs arrivals in Boracay in 2010 increased by 10.7 percent, from its 24,415 level in 2009 it soared to 27,038 in 2010.

Interestingly, in 2010, Boracay visitors were highly dominated by Koreans (40 percent), Taiwanese (22 percent) and Chinese (16 percent).

As in the past, for every 100 visitors, 41 percent were Korean nationals.

Other foreign nationals which made Boracay their choice of leisure in 2010 came from: USA (six percent); United Kingdom, Australia, and Hongkong (three percent each); and Japan, Germany and Canada (two percent each).