BORACAY ISLAND, Malay, Aklan- The Aklan Provincial Police Office (APPO) is setting up Task Force: Summer Vacation to ensure the safety of tourists who will spend summer in this resort island.
Supt. Samuel Nacion, deputy provincial director for administration, said that the task force will likewise monitor presence of illegal drugs here.
Aside from the police, concerned government offices such as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and other agencies are also setting up their respective contingency measures to ensure the security in this resort island in place.
The summer season has been dubbed as peak season in Boracay with highest arrivals during the Lenten season, according to a report from the Department of Tourism (DOT).
"Right now we have 58 police personnel in Boracay the ideal is 120. However, the APPO is ready to augment police personnel as the need arises," said Nacion.
Aside from the APPO, the Police Regional Office-Western Visayas in Iloilo has also committed to send in more police troops when necessary.
BORACAY ISLAND, Malay, Aklan- Business establishments in this resort island are complaining of the blowfly infestation which they said is a threat to the health of tourists apart from being an eyesore.
In his letter addressed to the Barangay Yapak Council, Mark Kirk General Manager of the Shangri-La's Boracay said that they experienced the siege of the blowfly since November 2010. They offered help to solve the issue.
"The source of the blowfly is the decaying and exposed organic waste at the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) nearby," said Kirk.
The Shangri-La management has committed to help ensure proper segregation of wastes generated by the hotel, bi-weekly treatments of the MRF and garbage collection trucks.
Cely Recampo, assistant manager for internal operations of the Zoe Mei Resort also complained of similar problems.
Meantime, Yapak barangay captain Hector Casidsid has also vowed to settle the issue.
"My administration assure to do the proper and most efficient way of segregation as well as cleaning the entire community for the sake of my constituents," he said.
Barangay Yapak is experiencing difficulty in putting the MRF in order due to the heavy influx of wastes being dumped into the said facility.
BORACAY ISLAND, Malay, Aklan- The operation at the Caticlan-Cagban Jetty Port here has returned to normal after it was suspended Friday last week due to a tsunami alert following the earthquake and tsunami incidents in Japan.
Niven Maquirang, Caticlan jetty port administrator, said the operation was suspended in coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
"Although Boracay was not included in the tsunami threat, we would like to maintain order for Boracay tourists and residents to ensure their safety. We would like to call on residents to continue being vigilant during these times," said Maquirang.
By Councilor Jonathan Cabrera
We, as Local Government is mandated to deliver basic services and think of measures that will preserve and protect the general welfare of our constituents.
In reality, the budget of our LGU (185M for 2011) is only enough for the operation of the Municipality on personal services, capital outlay, maintenance and other operating expenses. Pero marami pang dapat paglaanan ng pundo to ensure the full delivery of basic social services to our constituents like: livelihood, medical, infra, equipments, etc.
Para mangyari to, kailangan naming mag isip ng mga pamamaraan para makalikom ng mas maraming local revenue at makipag ugnayan sa ibang ahensya ng pamahalaan who are potential in extending supports, aids and assistance for our community.
In Boracay, it’s the fact that gambling involving tourists is happening. Halimbawa may mga turista na nagcheck in sa isang hotel, nabagot na sa kaiikot sa isla kaya nagkasundo na maglaro sa loob ng kwarto. Nangyari ang gambling pero ang malungkot wala tayong kinita. It’s a loss of potential revenue.
We are persistent that PAGCOR should come to Boracay island. To regulate and curb the illegal gamblings here and at the same time extend their charity and community programs to our constituents. Maliban pa sa share na mapupunta sa LGU na ibibigay ng pagcor.
We are also fully cognizant of the fact that while Boracay remains to be a primary tourist destination, there are already other local and regional tourists destinations that likewise attract foreign tourists; hence, we believe that there is a need to encourage new activities and attractions in Boracay like legal forms of leisure and entertainment to enhance its appeal and attractiveness to foreign tourists and pull in tourist dollars, curb illegal gambling operations in Boracay and keep it ahead of its competition by allowing innovative measures such as “FOREIGN-PLAYERS-ONLY” Gaming Operations;
On the other hand, we are likewise cognizant of the sentiments of certain sectors in our community against the moral and social ills of gambling on the local community; hence, in order to address these concerns a committee hearing is set on March 17 at the SB session hall with PAGCOR representatives, church, business sector, and other interested parties.
We hope to agree on the following conditions that will be a win-win solution to all of us:
a. PAGCOR rules and regulations pertaining to Junket Operations shall be strictly observed;
b. A multi-sectoral monitoring body shall be constituted to see to it that rules and regulations are at all times observed and followed;
c. Whoever shall be the business partner of Pagcor in operating said gaming operations shall be involved in socio-civic activites this is apart from what the Municipality of Malay will receive as benefits from Pagcor under the law;
d. It is understood that such operations shall be experimental and that the number of areas where such operations shall be conducted should be limited according to viability and size of the market. The unregulated proliferation of gaming sites even if limited only to foreign players should not be allowed in order to maintain the image of Boracay as a wholesome tourist destination;
e. Pagcor is willing to adopt new measures and safeguards that may be suggested by the monitoring body from to time to time;
(Note: Hon. Jonathan Cabrera is the chairman of the committee on Good Government and a member of the committee on Tourism, games and amusement.)
BORACAY ISLAND, Malay Aklan- The Malay municipal council is studying the possibility of designating a terminal for tricycles plying in this resort island.
Currently, the council faces difficulty in finding a location since most of the vacant lot in this resort island was owned by the state being represented by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
To recall the Supreme Court had ruled out that Boracay Island is an agriculture reserved zone and all the parcels of land thereof are being owned by the state.
Because of this, the Malay council plans to have a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the DENR to provide them a location as terminals for tricycles, which are the common medium of transport in Boracay.
Another option, the Malay council considers is to have an agreement among the existing land users.
In the absence of terminals, drivers park their tricycles anywhere in Boracay that causes an eye sore for tourists.
Apart from easing up of the traffic situation, the council believed that tariff rates can already be properly implemented if they there is a terminal.
BORACAY ISLAND, Aklan- Chief Supt. Cipriano Querol, police regional director for Western Visayas, urged the newly-activated Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) of the province to give emphasis in maintaining peace and order, particularly in the Boracay resort island.
The police official was at the Aklan Provincial Police Office in Camp Pastor in Kalibo for the recently held graduation ceremony of the 24 newly-trained SWAT members.
Querol said he would like the focus to the entry of illegal drugs in the resort island because of the police intelligence report he received.
According to the intelligence report, illegal drugs will be flooded to the resort island in summer.
Querol said that although the police in the past have also been vigilant in monitoring the illegal drugs in Boracay, there are still some isolated cases of prohibited drug activities.
Because of the said intelligence report, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) will conduct illegal drugs awareness campaign in the province on April 1.
While in Aklan, Querol also graced the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams (BPAT) trainors' training.
BORACAY — The Sangguniang Bayan (SB) of Malay urged people organizing events in this resort island not to use “Bora” in their themes.
If they do so, their event will not be permitted to push through, the SB said.
The SB recently passed a resolution seeking for the use of “Boracay” instead of “Bora” in the themes of events being conducted here.
More than a year ago, a group of stakeholders in this resort island started out a campaign against the tourists’ use of “Bora” in their slogans and publicity materials.
They said such practice implicates confusion, arguing that there is a place called “Bora Bora” in the Pacific.
It has been believed that “Bora” was used by young tourists attending beach parties here to refer to this resort island.
The SB said they will strengthen the resolution with a follow-up ordinance.
