(UPDATE) MALACAÑANG has postponed the visit of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to Boracay on Thursday, on revelations that some of those in his official family may have been exposed to persons confirmed to be infected with Corona Virus Disease (Covid-19).
He was supposed to have met with tourism stakeholders from the island as well as distributed certificates of land ownership to beneficiary families.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat confirmed to the BusinessMirror the postponement of Duterte’s visit. She, too will no longer visit the island. “Secretary (Eduardo M.) Año and I thought it was prudent to stay (in Manila) as well, in light of recent developments.”
Sources said Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez has gone on self-quarantine after having been exposed to someone found positive for Covid-19. Even journalists who interviewed him and other economic managers after a meeting are undergoing self-quarantine.
The Senate meanwhile, will be locked down for disinfection after some guests in a hearing were also found to be positive with Covid-19. Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Nancy Binay said they were both going into self-quarantine.
In a statement released by Malacañang late Wednesday evening, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said, “In light of the recent developments and after careful review of the situation concerning the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte will not proceed to Boracay Island on Thursday, March 12, as earlier scheduled.
“The visit of the President to the said island is moved to a later date.”
Government agencies rush projects for Duterte arrival
BORACAY ISLAND, Aklan—When President Duterte arrives in this crown jewel of Philippines tourism, he will find a vertical garden at the Cagban jetty port, a new tarp showing the aerial view of the island behind a large welcome sign, “Boracay” that was installed last year.
He will also likely admire the paved main road and immaculate sidewalks, and if he stays long enough, a well-lit Bulabog Beach. Most were hastily put and completed for his arrival, according to BusinessMirror sources.
Residents on the island can only laugh weakly. “I woke up this morning, with a brand spanking new sidewalk, not to mention the massive ditch across work is now covered,” said Sari (not her real name) in a comment on a Facebook post about the government rushing projects.
Business owner Jim also noticed, “In the last year, it never seemed like there was anyone working on the Bulabog pumping station it. Today, it’s being painted and the open ditch around it is covered.”
For her part, Gera said, the big tarp with an image of Yapak at the Cagban jetty port is new, while the vertical garden now has “new manila palms, replacing the very dead, but super expensive anahaw which used to be there. There are also flowering plants now.”
She added Bulabog Beach, where water sports are usually held, “was lit up for the first time, two nights ago, while the sidewalk is being rushed to death. The diggings of DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways] and Tieza [Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority] were suddenly covered with tarps. Whatever is needed to do in a big island-wide cleanup has been rushed. They can do it in three days pala, but they neglected it for months!” Jim, added wryly, “In the beginning they were laying bricks/paving for the sidewalks. About three weeks ago they started cementing the sidewalks, then pressed a mold so they looked like bricks! Now it looks the same after being painted.”
He also “saw several speeding cement mixer trucks. All of a sudden, there are so many active trucks and heavy equipment moving around. Workers day and night, and on weekends.”
Another island resident, Sammy, joked, “Maybe they should announce that the President’s arriving every so often, so the road and drainage project can finally be completed.”
Duterte will visit the
island on Thursday, to help the Department of Tourism (DOT) in its campaign to
get more locals to travel around the country, instead of going abroad. The
local tourism industry was estimated to have lost close to P40 million in
tourism revenues from February to March this year, owing to sluggish arrivals
because of the coronavirus disease 2019
(Covid-19) outbreak.
Manila has imposed a travel ban on China, the second-largest source of tourists for the Philippines, along with Hong Kong and Macau, due to the Covid-19 crisis. But even for those markets where no travel ban has been imposed, like South Korea, there have been sluggish arrivals as well.
Boracay is one of the major destinations in the country severely hit by the COVID-19 crisis. There were noticeably more Filipinos on the island, and a smattering of Caucasians from Europe. Chinese tourists, who usually came in droves to enjoy the island’s white beach —popular around the world—are absent.
In a recent press briefing, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat said Boracay hotels and resorts saw occupancy rates dropping by 40 percent. As of February 28, 2020, there are 394 hotels and resorts with 14,289 rooms now accredited with the DOT.
She added, construction of road projects by the DPWH “should be finished by April,” while Tieza’s drainage project “is dependent on the road.”
During his visit here, Duterte will meet with the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF), chaired by Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu and cochaired by Interior Secretary Eduardo M. Año, and Romulo Puyat, as well as tourism stakeholders on Thursday. In a news statement, the DOT chief said they will discuss ongoing and future steps to sustain and protect the gains during the island’s rehabilitation.
It will be the first time for Duterte to visit the island since it reopened in October 2018. He had ordered it closed for six months to give way to government’s rehabilitation efforts.
While on the island, Duterte will meet Boracay tourism stakeholders, including airlines, hotels/resorts and tour operators for offering special rates on tour packages, room rates and marked-down rates for domestic flights, Romulo Puyat said.