THE mother of all executive orders (EO) to govern the development of Boracay will be issued soon by President Duterte.
This developed as the Department of Tourism (DOT) projected arrivals in the world-renowned resort island in Aklan would reach 2.2 million in 2018.
Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon T. Teo and Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu disclosed that they would recommend a new EO for President Duterte to sign, during their visit last week to Boracay, which consistently ranks among the most popular beaches or islands in the world.
“The focus of the EO will resolve the issues pertinent to Boracay,” said Cimatu, who noted that a number of EOs have already previously been issued but were never fully implemented or followed.
One of these was EO 706 issued by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on January 18, 2008, which directed the tourism secretary as chairman of the then-Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) to take control over Boracay, and ordered the mayor of Malay to “suspend the issuance of building permits for any structure on Boracay Island unless approved by the chairman of the PTA and the governor of Aklan as Chairman of the Aklan Provincial Tourism Development Task Force.” The PTA is the forerunner of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza), the infrastructure arm of the DOT.
A ranking DOT source who was present during the closed-door meetings on the island between the two Cabinet secretaries with Aklan Gov. Florencio Miraflores, Malay Mayor Ciceron Cawaling and representatives of other relevant government agencies, told the BusinessMirror “it’s technically a new EO. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, DOT and Tieza have already prepared their own versions of the EO. The Secretaries will assign people who will reconcile all drafts to come up with one EO, which will be signed by President Duterte, ASAP.”
Teo added that the new EO would likely expand the membership of the interagency task force that would oversee the development of Boracay. In 2004 Arroyo also issued EO 377, which created an Eminent Persons Group from the private sector to oversee the “sustainable development” of Boracay.
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Boracay has been urging the creation of the tourism authority that would take over Boracay and oversee its development. (See,“Boracaynons skeptical of government promise to solve island’s nagging issues,” in the BusinessMirror, January 19, 2018.)
Meanwhile, during last week’s news conference on the island, DOT Regional Director for Western Visayas Helen Catalbas said that despite the recent flooding incident on the island due to Typhoon Urduja, “there were minimal or no cancellations [of bookings from tourists].”
In 2017 over 2 million tourists went to Boracay, up 17.6 percent from the arrivals in 2016. Data from DOT-Region 6 showed about 49 percent of the 2017 arrivals in Boracay were foreigners, while the rest were Filipinos. Also, the data showed the top source markets for tourists in Boracay last year were China at 375,284; followed by South Korea at 356,644; Taiwan, 40,802; the United States, 22,648; Malaysia, 20,585; the United Kingdom, 17,416; Saudi Arabia, 15,944; Australia, 15,365; and Russia, 14,074.
Overseas Filipinos, or those residing or working abroad but still carrying Philippine passports were 42,060. Boracay continues to be the top destination for local and foreign tourists, according to Marlene Dado Jante, president of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA).
In PTAA’s news conference to announce the 25th Travel and Tour Expo from February 9 to 11 at the SMX Convention Center, she said “Boracay is still the No. 1 destination,” but the group is heavily promoting other destinations, as well, especially in Mindanao.
The continuing surge in foreign arrivals in Boracay may be attributed to the increasing number of direct flights between China and specific Philippine destinations. At the PTAA news conference, Philippine Airlines Assistant Vice President for Passenger Sales Antonio Herrera said: “China is already very, very aggressive in chartering flights, especially to Caticlan, to the Visayas region, and we’re open to this.”
He added that charter flights from several points in mainland China to Kalibo, Aklan, “will continue then points also to Bohol, Puerto Princesa…because the Chinese want to explore. They want to go to the Philippine beach destinations, so any place they want to charter, we’re open.”
Close to 400 exhibitors will be participating during the TTE in February, including the biggest airlines, hotels, resorts, theme parks and cruise lines worldwide. It will feature all the tourism stakeholders in the country, embassies and national tourism organizations, she added.
“Over the years, the Travel Tour Expo has prided itself as the one-stop shop for all the travel needs of our countrymen. We intend to keep and even exceed that commitment in February,” Jante added.
She said “we have asked the airlines to give us the lowest rate at the expo, also the resorts. This is really the time for the public to get the lowest possible rates [for their holidays].”
She added a trip to Boracay inclusive of roundtrip airfare, for instance, and a two-night stay can be had for P2,800 per person. To Hong Kong, Jante said they have a P7,000 package, while in Taipei, as low as P8,000 per person, also inclusive of roundtrip airfare and a two-night hotel stay. “PAL is offering us a very good deal. Also, our suppliers abroad are offering us very reasonable rates.”
Image credits: Stella Arnaldo
3 comments
Executive Orders have been issued but ignored or not fully complied with in the past, what has changed to make a new EO be complied with now or in the future?
I’ve lived on Boracay for the past 4-1/2 years. I can tell you many things that need to be improved. Feel free to contact me directly, for more information, but I would make the following suggestions:
1) Our streets contain potholes that have been here, since I moved here. The roads are atrocious and dangerous for motorcycles and pedestrians, alike. These need to be fixed.
2) The local water company has worked on 2/3 projects over the past couple of years. First, they tore-up the streets to install sewer pipes that are nowhere large enough to handle the amount of sewage that the island develops. Second, they again tore-up the streets, in order to install new water delivery lines. Now, they are tearing-up the same streets, in order to install lines for run-off (these lines are also way too small for the water volume that they will be expected to handle). Why couldn’t these projects be conducted simultaneously, to save time and money and inconvenience to residents and tourists? Why wasn’t a qualified engineer consulted, in order to ensure that the new lines would be adequate for the task at-hand?
3) Pedal trikes plying the main road, and back road, during the day, clog-up traffic for no good reason. We have plenty of motor trikes than can perform this same function, and they actually charge less. Outlaw the pedal trikes on the roads from 6am to 10pm, and enforce it with tickets!
4) Trike rates and laws are not enforced. Trikes will bypass locals, in order to gouge tourists with exhorbitant fees. Put a stop to this practice. Also, force the trike drivers to transport children to/from school at the reduced rates. It saddens me to see children lined-up along the road, while empty trikes ignore them, as they pass-by. Cruise ship arrivals make this problem 10x worse, but that is a topic for another day.
5) Traffic is a huge problem that can be easily alleviated. Right now, boat traffic flows to/from Caticlan and Cagban or Tabon and Tambisaan. I would suggest that additional ports be built at or near BTR (Boracay Terraces Resort) and Fairways/Bluewater Resort. I would replace ALL of the banca boats with Super Ferry boats, and have them ply routes from Caticlan to Cagban or BTR and from Tabon to Tambisaan or Fairways. By having boat traffic going to the North and South points of the island, on both sides, we can greatly reduce traffic on the Main Road, as people won’t need to use trikes or multicabs to get from Cagban to Yapak, and back. This would also allow for a reduction in the number of trikes and multicabs on the island. Eliminating the banca boats will reduce boat traffic, making for safer seas and improving the security of the island. The coop won’t like this idea.
6) Stop all new construction in forested areas. It’s OK to infill and upgrade lots in the current developed areas, as this will improve the appearance of the island. However, we need to preserve what little nature we have left. Much of the flooding we have is due to the natural runoff paths being blocked by new development.
7) We need fire hydrants throughout the island. When big fires happen, we must bring water trucks to refill the fire trucks, but most fire trucks cannot access smaller accessways to even get to a fire. Fire hydrants in these areas will save lives and help to contain fires, before they consume hectares of area and numerous homes and businesses. A fire hydrant would allow for direct connection of hoses to a water source, which provides much quicker access to fight fires that are in congested areas.
8) We need a trash-to-energy solution, which will empty all of the landfills on the island, handle the daily trash created by the island’s residents and guests, and turn that into a profitable solution. I know of a company that can make this happen, and the project will pay for itself in only a few years. This would also potentially help to reduce the blackouts that we regularly experience, due to the lack of resources of Akelco and the National Grid Corp.
9) We need to develop a new source of fresh water, before we tap-out the Nabaoy River. We are dangerously close to getting to a position in which fresh water might have to be rationed, and we don’t want that to happen. We also need to allow for well water to be used to fight fires.
10) We need to enforce the laws that exist on the books. I’m about the only person on the island who wears a helmet while riding my motorcycle. Trikes park, and set-up terminals, illegally, at various points of the island, while blocking traffic. This is unacceptable.
11) We need to find a way to widen the roads and also to provide safe walking areas for pedestrians. We have very few sidewalks on the island. Emergency vehicles have a hard time responding to calls, due to a lack of space between two lanes of traffic. One-way roads are not the answer, but we need to make more space.
12) Despite the power of the BLTMPC coop to drive elections, we need to limit their power. They do not regulate their own drivers, and they have put enough pressure on the Mayor’s Office to outlaw single riders. We need the single riders! They can go places that trikes cannot go, and they are a much more economical alternative to the price-gouging trike drivers. Some trike drivers want to charge as much as 250p to go from City Mall to Din-Iwid Beach. This is illegal, but no one stops it. Find a way to regulate the bikes, reasonably, and let them compete with the trikes. This will benefit the public, as it will cause a natural reduction in fares.
I will stop with an even dozen recommendations. The problem with making recommendations, as a foreigner, is that no local will ever listen, since these are not their ideas. The local government is resistant to having the national government take control of the island, which I understand. However, the local government has been in control of this island for the last 30 years, and they are responsible for creating/allowing this mess. They have proven themselves incompetent for the task, and expecting them to clean-up their own mess is a fool’s errand. I welcome the National Government’s interest in protecting the island, but I hope that they put competent people in-charge, or nothing will improve.
Truly, I hope that change comes. If not, I will probably look for a better opportunity elsewhere, before Boracay self-destructs.
The government would do well in preservIng the island as the no. 1 tourist destination by putting up a development agency which will have total control of the island bearing in mind probable source of corruption as well. For a start, I guess the island as well as its residents will hopefully welcome a comprehensive urban plan that will help its sustainability for many years to come.