ILOILO City – After the capsizing of three motorboats that drowned 31 people in the Iloilo Strait, tourist arrivals in the island province of Guimaras dropped by 73 percent in August and September this year from arrivals recorded in the same months last year, data from the Guimaras Provincial Tourism Office showed.
The Department of Tourism Region 6 knows what it has to do: reassure tourists that it remains safe to cross the Iloilo Strait. But Director Helen Catalbas acknowledges there’s a lot to do.
“We will reposition Guimaras as a safe destination. We need to assure tourists that traveling to Guimaras is still safe. But we have to get the commitment of all stakeholders,” she said during yesterday’s inter-agency dialogue at a hotel here.
Stakeholders present included representatives from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), local government units of Guimaras, tour operators, resorts, hotels, and restaurants.
“In the minds of tourists, it’s not easy, it’s not safe to go to Guimaras anymore,” lamented Catalbas.
According to the Guimaras Provincial Tourism Office, 19,439 same-day tourists visited the island in August and 16,908 in September – significantly lower than the 49,295 visitors recorded in August 2018 and 31,856 tourists who came in September last year.
“What Guimaras is currently getting are independent or individual travellers, small groups. Gone are the big groups of tourists crossing the Iloilo Strait to visit the island in buses and vans,” said Catalbas.
The PCG and MARINA imposed strict measures on sea travel following the Aug. 3 Iloilo Strait tragedy. These included limiting motorboat trips (from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. only), removal or rolling up of tarpaulins or canvas that give shade to passengers, and mandatory wearing of lifejackets throughout the trip.
“We have to respect the ‘safety first’ policy of MARINA and coastguard,” said Catalbas, “but we have to come up with solutions which will allow tourism and Guimaras to move forward.”
Tourism has become one of the main economic drivers of Guimaras which boasts of export-quality sweet mangoes, beaches and dive sites.
“With a lot of events and conventions in Iloilo City, Guimaras has to be ready to accommodate tourists. Whether we admit it or not, whether we realize it or not, Guimaras is one of the attractions of Iloilo City. They (visitors) come here for events and they hope to cross to Guimaras which is only 15 minutes away,” said Catalbas.
One of the things that dialogue participants agreed yesterday was to modernize or improve motorboat services.
MARINA actually ordered the phase out of all wooden-hulled passenger motorboats and replace these with aluminum- or fiberglass-hulled ones but boat operators said the cost was prohibitive.
Stakeholders also agreed to lobby with MARINA to reconsider one restriction – the removal or rolling up of tarpaulins or canvas that protect passengers from the scorching heat of the sun.
Catalbas also suggested that fast crafts and roll on, roll off (roro) ships make themselves available for charter trips of big groups going to Guimaras.
Last month a group calling itself Hugpong Guimaras held a “unity walk” in Guimaras to dramatize the sorry plight of the province due to the tightly regulated operation of motorboats.
Participants included students, businessmen, motorboat operators and workers, motorcycle and jeepney drivers, and resort owners, among others.
Wearing black shirts, they called for the return of the way motorboats operated prior to the Aug. 3 Iloilo Strait tragedy.
“Our plea is that for the time being, samtang wala pa ang modernization, ibalik ang trapal with some modifications,” said Fred Davis of Hugpong Guimaras.
Gov. Samuel Gumarin of Guimaras and Cong. Lucille Nava themselves earlier warned of the economic dislocation of motorboat operators, crew and their families if the phase out of wooden-hulled boats is not done gradually./PN
