ILOILO City – Concerned government agencies, together with the local government units (LGU) of Malay and the provincial government of Aklan presented their respective development directions for Boracay Island for the next three years during the recent Boracay Stakeholders Forum at the Henann Park Resort in the island.
The activity was spearheaded by the Economic Development Committee (EDC) 6 under the leadership of its acting chairperson, Atty. Jobert Peñaflorida, regional governor of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) – Western Visayas and concurrent co-chairperson of the Regional Development Council (RDC) 6.
Peñaflorida, who presided over the forum, said the activity was also a consultative interaction between the government and business sector.
He pointed out that Boracay remains the prized jewel and gateway of tourism in Western Visayas; hence, its sustainability is everyone’s challenge and responsibility.
For the part of the Department of Tourism (DOT), Regional Director Cristine Mansinares shared that the economic recovery prospect for Boracay is strong, citing the 821.35 percent increase in tourist arrivals from January to November 6, 2022, compared to the same period in 2021.
Data from the DOT Region 6 showed that tourist arrivals logged this year have already reached 1,473,158.
The regional director noted that among the tourism priorities for Region 6 are to support regional ecotourism sites, re-establish flights similar to those during the pre-pandemic period, promote MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences/conventions, exhibitions/events), cultural, and film tourism, assist community-based rural tourism organizations and tourism MSMEs (micro, small and medium-scale entrepreneurs), and greening the tourism value chain.
For the part of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Regional Executive Director Livino B. Duran said they will continue to protect the forestlands and wetlands of Boracay, prevent new encroachments, recover and rehabilitate the island’s ecosystems, and support/advocate innovations and programs on climate action and disaster resilience.
He further assured that their direction will continue to be aligned with the rehabilitation and recovery framework indicated in the Boracay Action Plan.
The Malay LGU, on the other hand, also laid out its plans to decongest Boracay Island with complementary development of mainland Malay as contained in their New Tourism Masterplan.
For the provincial government, Aklan governor Jose Enrique Miraflores declared that the province is moving towards the creation of a Boracay Inter-agency cooperation body that will adopt the same multi-sectoral approach strategy as the defunct Boracay Inter-agency Task Force (BIATF).
He expects the body to be functional by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, during the open forum, the stakeholders expressed their concerns over the results of the carrying capacity study of the island.
One of the suggestions is for the study to be re-evaluated, specifically the parameters for the tourist carrying capacity.
They felt that more tourists should be allowed in the island than what is being recommended in the study.
Duran assured the body that the results of the 2022 carrying capacity study is under review pending the concerns raised during its initial presentation to the public.
He added that this will be presented again to the public once finalized.
Miraflores committed to conduct a stakeholders’ consultation relative to the final report of the 2022 carrying capacity study.
Other participants during the forum were Alma Belejerdo of the Malay Municipal Planning and Development Council representing Mayor Frolibar S. Bautista; officials from the three barangays in Boracay Island; Boracay Foundation, Inc. chairman Dindo Salazar and president Edwin Raymundo; Boracay MICE Alliance chairperson Cleofe Albiso and president Elmar Lina; and PCCI Boracay president Wesley Van der Voort and past president Elena Brugger and all PCCI-6 chamber presidents and officers from Iloilo, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Metro Bacolod. (With reports from FCP, PDIPBD)/PN
