The government may have closed the world-famous Boracay island for rehabilitation for six months, but tourists still flocked to the country’s other tourist destinations.
According to the Department of Tourism, tourist arrivals even increased in May compared to the previous month despite the closure of Boracay island.
Boracay was ordered closed by President Rodrigo Duterte starting last April to give way to its rehabilitation after the president called the world-famous island as a “cesspool.”
Following its closure, the DENR ordered establishments to improve its sewerage systems, while also even as it ordered illegal structures torn down.
Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. said at a meeting of hoteliers in Makati that since Boracay’s shutdown, some 537,743 travelers visited the country in May, or up 0.94 percent from April’s tourist arrivals.
Bengzon said that the DoT has recorded a total of 3,177,974 foreign visitors in the first 3 months of the year, which is 10.24 percent higher compared to tourist arrivals in the same period in 2017.
The DoT official said the government will rebrand Boracay and initiate green infrastructure projects in the island when it opens again on Oct. 26.
According to a report by Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, some 3.7 million tourists visited the island in 2017. Boracay is known worldwide for its powder-like beaches.
Meanwhile, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has vowed to look into the reported 30-minute dip of 21 youth delegates of GenFest International in the island of Boracy in Aklan.
Undersecretary for Solid Wastes and Local Government Concerns Benny Antiporda said he would look into the swimming activity of the European delegates and why they were allowed to take a 30-minute dip despite the island’s six-month closure order.
“We just learned about this through a news report from GMA 7. We assure you that we will look into this, and determine if there’s any breach on the protocol set by the Boracay inter-agency task force,” said Antiporda, who is also a deputy spokesperson.
The Aklan provincial police said they allowed the 21 delegates to swim for half an hour at the request of festival organizers after going through a tight screening.
SP01 Nida Gregas, the police’s spokesperson, said the delegates wanted to see and visit the traditional life of the Ati ethnic group in the island.
The Genfest International is a meeting of the youth who want to show the world that universal fraternity is possible.
The festival is usually held in Europe, but it was the first time it was held in Asia with the Philippines as host.
According to Antiporda, based on guidelines of the inter-agency task force, swimming shall not be allowed anywhere in the island.
He, however, said the Boracay residents may be allowed to swim but only in designated areas near Station 1 and in Angol beach in Station 3 at a particular time from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.