BORACAY – The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Boracay chapter has asked local officials in Aklan to lift the ban on the sale and consumption of liquor in accredited hotels, and shorten the curfew hours in the island.
The business group said Aklan governor Florencio Miraflores and Malay acting town mayor Frolibar Bautista should allow accredited accommodation establishments to serve liquor to their guests while doing it safely amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Miraflores has adopted stricter pandemic safety measures by issuing Executive Order No. 005-C on June 8, 2021, banning the sale, dispensation and transporting of liquor in the whole province of Aklan, including Boracay Island.
The municipal government of Malay, Aklan also imposed longer curfew hours from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. following a surge in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases. That means tourists and guests have to stay indoors during the extended curfew hours in the middle of pandemic.
Bars remain closed while dine-in restaurants are open as long as they operate at 50 percent of their capacity only.
Recent weeks have seen the COVID-19 numbers increasing once again with 72 active cases in Boracay Island.
PCCI- Boracay appealed to move the curfew back three hours, allowing compliant establishments to remain open from 1 a.m. until 4 a.m.
“The island should be a fun destination for holidaymakers. Tourists from Manila are all tested, and after the National Capital Region Plus lockdown, they are coming to Boracay to have a good time,” the group stressed.
Shortened curfew hours would help bring in more tourists and revive the local economy badly hit by quarantine regulations.
Visitors to Boracay are required to present a negative swab or saliva test for COVID-19 not more than 72 hours prior to check-in./PN
