MORE resorts on Boracay Island have been allowed to reopen on October 26.
A list released by the Department of Tourism (DOT) on Friday showed the newly accredited popular resorts include: Alta Vista de Boracay (Brgy. Hagdan, Yapak); Beachcomber Resort (Station 1); Coast Boracay Isles (Station 2); Crimson Boracay (Punt Bunga, Yapak); Sur Beach resort (Station 1); The District Boracay (Station 1), among others.
This brings the total number of DOT-accredited resorts in Boracay to 115, with 5,365 rooms. DOT officials have stressed that would-be vacationers only book their stays in these accredited hotels.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat underscored that the updated list is by no means final. “We are continuously accrediting compliant resorts; so if you’re not in today’s list, perhaps you will make next week’s list, “ she said. “All the other government agencies (e.g. Department of Interior and Local Government and Department of Environment and Natural Resources) continue to process the papers of establishments that wish to reopen by October 26 and onwards,” she added.
As this developed, officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), in a press conference on Boracay on Friday, unveiled partial reopening guidelines for the island, but emphasized these were “not yet final” and may be changed or revised based on inputs from the private stakeholders and discussions with the local government unit officials.
DENR Undersecretary for Attached Agencies Sherwin Rigor said fire dancing would be allowed on the island if LED lights are used. Prior to the closure, fire dancers used kerosene lamps, which the DENR said was environmentally unsafe.
He added that resorts, bars, restaurants and similar establishments should adopt noice/music insulation systems, to reduce the noise level.
Parties on the beachfront and/or within the 25+5 easement meters “no build zone” easement are disallowed in the absence of a valid permit for special events. For now, Rigor said, it is the LGU which can issue permits for special events.
The DENR official added that the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force will be consulting with LGU officials on installing a proper lighting system along the main white beach. At present, lights that were strung along the beach and nailed on the coconut trees have been taken down.
Public smoking along the white beach is currently banned, but Rigor said, this rule “may be replaced with a designated smoking area” regulation.
A closed season in Boracay Island for at least one month a year, will be implemented, but Rigor explained to the BusinessMirror that hotels and resorts will continue to operate. “We will just do a scheduled maintenance of say, this barangay, and next, another barangay, just to ensure the island continues to be clean.”
He said the DENR has already made an inventory of rooms and houses on the mainland for the island’s workers to use. “Instead of these resorts building a new housing unit for their workers on the mainland, it would be cheaper for them to just rent houses there,” adding that there are about 600 houses that are available for lease for the workers.
“We’ve spoken with the establishments and asked them to just subdivide their workers, so those who aren’t working at a certain day or time, just stay on the mainland,” he averred, saying this would help maintain the island’s carrying capacity.
Rigor also appealed to pet owners to bring bags for them to pick up their pets’ wastes to keep the island clean. Pets are disallowed from roaming on the beach.
While the BIATF is strictly enforcing a no-reservation, no-entry policy for the island, DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda assured vacationers who don’t have reservations that a list of accredited resorts would be posted at the Caticlan port. “They can look through that list and make their reservations from there,” he said.