ILOILO City – With an 11-day “dry run” set for the Oct. 26 reopening of Boracay Island, Department of Tourism Region 6 director Atty. Helen Catalbas said both locals and domestic tourists alike will be allowed to swim again in Boracay’s beaches starting Oct. 15.
Swimming in the beaches of Boracay was prohibited for the six-month closure period, under the orders of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) officer-in-charge Eduardo Año.
Even residents were barred from the beaches during the closure starting April 26 to “allow nature to heal,” Año said.
With the reopening of Boracay, Catalbas hopes for a balance of “economic development and sustainability” on the popular resort island. The regional director added that for the dry run – set to begin Oct. 15 – Boracay will open anew to domestic tourists, preferably Aklanons. A limit of 1,000 visitors per day has also been set for the dry run period. On a “first come, first served” basis, tourists exceeding the 1,000 per day limit may be barred from entry into the island.
ACCREDITED ESTABLISHMENTS
The DOT released a bulletin on Sept. 1, listing 25 Boracay hotels – for a total of 2,063 rooms – which it has deemed compliant with all the requirements set by the DENR and DILG to operate on the island.
These more than two dozen establishments are set to be accredited by the DOT. The bulletin comes as both tourists and establishments in Boracay count down to the Oct. 26 reopening of the popular tourist destination – just over a month away now.
Catalbas recently warned tourists to stay only in resorts and hotels adhering to government rules and regulations, once the island destination opens its doors anew to visitors.
An overnight stay in Boracay Island will likely cost a tourist an average of P7,663, based on accommodation rates gathered by Panay News, for the DOT’s initial 25-hotel list of “compliant” establishments.
Panay News computed the P7,663 average by gathering the lowest overnight stay rate of each of the listed hotels – by phone call, through their official website, or through third-party booking sites. Of the 25 “compliant” establishments, only four couldn’t be contacted through any of the means above.
This bulletin is the first in what is expected to be weekly public advisories on compliant tourism establishments to guide tourists.
Catalbas said hopefully between 3,000 to 5,000 rooms may be available to accommodate tourists when Boracay reopens after six months of closure for a massive cleanup.
Only fully compliant establishments would be allowed to operate.
“Advice namon nga dapat nga atendiron nila anay ang ila compliance kay karon budlayan man sila kun indi man sila ka-comply,” said Catalbas.
An accreditation from the DOT is the last requirement before business establishments can operate on the island.
From the data gathered by Panay News, currently the most budget-friendly “compliant” accommodation on the island is The Lazy Dog Bed & Breakfast along Bulabog Beach with its dorm-type option rooms at P1,803 per night. The most expensive on the list is the cliff-side Den Pasar Beach Resort in Balabag, Brgy. Bulabog with its luxury four-room villa costing P45,000 per overnight stay.
As of writing, the hotel with the most number of “compliant” rooms is Fairways & Bluewater Newcoast Boracay with 700 rooms, followed by Azalea Hotel & Residences (284), and Astoria Current (156).
Undersecretary for Tourism Development Benito Bengzon Jr. has assured travellers of better visitor experiences in Boracay with the DOT’s projects already laid out for the coming months.
“For our part, we will make sure that the accommodation establishments comply with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)/ Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) requirements before they qualify for DOT accreditation. Manpower training programs will be extended to the accredited establishments so that the frontline services are much improved prior to the closing. And lastly, we will have to work on very intensive marketing promotions. So in our travel fairs, in our sales missions, Boracay will be showcased as a better destination for our markets,” he said.
A worldwide advertising campaign is set to be launched by the DOT in the following months, to be accompanied by strengthened promotions for various PH destinations, including the much-awaited reopening of the famous island.
This campaign is projected to entice more travellers to visit more destinations in addition to Boracay, as trainings and workshops for better sustainability practices are now being disseminated to industry players all over the country, guaranteed to provide better services to future clients.
“When you look at it overall, we really have to make sure that when we roll it out, when we relaunch Boracay, it would be a better destination, more environment-friendly, and it will be more secure and we have to make sure that, more important than anything else, we avoid the problems that led to its closure in the first place,” he added.
The Boracay bulletin can be accessed on DOT’s official website: www.tourism.gov.ph./PN
