ONE of the biggest events on Boracay Island usually held over the May 1, Labor Day holiday, appears to be pushing through despite the controversies hounding the island.
Dubbed “Laboracay,” the five-day event is marked by parties in several resorts, performances by international DJs and local celebrities, lots of drinking and hooking up.
It attracts revelers as young as teenagers and has been compared to spring break parties of Americans on holiday from school.
According to the Department of Tourism (DOT), over 70,000 tourists were recorded to have visited Boracay from April 25 to May 1 last year, up 28 percent from the previous year’s visitors. Of the total visitors last year, some 52,000 were Filipinos, while the rest were foreigners.
The data, likewise, indicated that while the number of foreign tourists in the island remained constant at some 18,000 for 2016 and 2017, the surge in Laboracay visitors were accounted for by locals.
In a text message, lawyer Mark Vernon Aquino of DOT Region 6 (Western Visayas) said “per conversation with the Mayor’s Office and the Municipal Tourism Office, [there has been] no notice of cancellation of Laboracay. As of the moment, it’s still a go.”
Karl Chusuey, vice president for marketing of Henann Group of Resorts, confirmed to the BusinessMirror that the resort group will be holding its Jungle Circuit parties as scheduled. “So far yes, it will happen,” he said.
Jungle Circuit has been described as one of the hottest parties for the LBGTQ community with featured local and international DJs spinning dance music. Tickets to the event are being sold through SM Tickets at P500 each.
A source among Boracay stakeholders who declined to be named, said, though, that most event organizers are “still waiting for guidelines from the local government unit on Laboracay events, including the music festival.”
Despite this, tickets for the Boracay Music Festival are already being sold via SM Tickets. While no updates are available regarding performers, VIP tickets are going for P1,500 per day per piece. With its main stage at Om Bar, last year’s performers included electronic musician and record-producing icon Chicane, Lush & Simon and Tom Taus.
Meanwhile, a communications officer from Coca-Cola Femsa, a key sponsor of Laboracay parties, said, “they are still finalizing the details of the sponsorship,” and declined to reveal any further details.
Another major sponsor and party organizer, Globe Telecommunications, declined to comment about their participation this year. Its event last year, Globe Sunkissed 2017, was well attended, and featured local and international DJs.
A popular alcoholic beverage company has yet to make up its mind about sponsoring this year’s events given the controversies around the island; President Duterte has described Boracay a “cesspool” due to the polluted waters of Bulabog beach. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has issued notices of violations to several resorts for easement and environmental regulations.
“I suppose if Laboracay will push through, [the major sponsors, such as telcos] need to show proof that they’re compliant with environmental requirements,” said a company official, who requested anonymity as he was not authorized to speak on the matter. Only then will his company make the decision whether to be a sponsor of those parties this year.
Although generally well received as a big business booster, Laboracay has its share of critics. A number of residents have complained that the aftermath of each event is a big trash nightmare, and revelers often run to the beach waters to relieve themselves while parties are ongoing, instead of using toilets.
Petty theft and crime have also been noticed on the rise, especially during the five-day revelry. One frequent attendee said she stopped going to Laboracay, “when the drugs came in.”
In response to the event’s critics, Chusuey said, “well, every year, less and less people go to Laboracay, so I’m assuming this year will be the same. Hopefully, the local government will implement strict rules in controlling violations that may arise.”
For her part, Sam Sanchez of Coca-Cola Femsa said: “We have always participated in the beach cleanup in partnership with the local government, to ensure that we do our part in keeping Boracay clean for the past years. We also distribute communication materials, as well as bins, to remind people to dispose of their trash properly. We believe that our business will only be as sustainable as the communities we serve. It is, therefore, imperative that as a company, we do our share in helping solve the waste problem.”
President Duterte has given the DENR and the Department of the Interior and Local Government six months to clean up and rehabilitate Boracay, which consistently rates as among the most popular islands and beaches in the world.