BORACAY – The local government of Malay, Aklan has shortened the curfew hours here to just four from the previous six.
The island-wide curfew now runs from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. Previously, the curfew started at 11 p.m.
Acting mayor Floribar Bautista said the shortened curfew gives tourism establishments extra hours of service to customers, thereby allowing them to generate more revenues amid the prevailing coronavirus pandemic.
However, the curfew hours in mainland Malay stays the same – from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
The local government of Malay aims to convince more tourists to visit Boracay, which gradually reopened in October last year after some seven months of closure due to pandemic-related quarantine measures.
Boracay, however, only currently accepts domestic tourists – primarily from the National Capital Region and Visayas regions – that must comply with strict requirements such as the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test. International tourists, which are the big spenders, are still barred from the island.
According to the Malay Tourism Office, tourist arrivals in Boracay reached 11,278 between Feb. 1 to 20.
Boracay Island has at least 280 accredited accommodation establishments with a combined 6,400 rooms available./PN
