Expensive lesson

The decision has been made to close Boracay for six months to clean it up and make sure establishments there follow the law. Those who are now crying loudly about lost business have only themselves to blame for decades of abusing our paradise.

Boracay is an expensive lesson. Everyone must learn from it. Government must deliver on its promise to clean up the place, never mind who gets hurt.

It is disturbing that up to now, there is no final list of establishments found violating the rules. It is easy to suspect inclusion in the list is up for negotiation to favor the highest bidder.

There are some violations that are so obvious. The resort of Manny Pacquiao’s friend, who was given a permit by then DENR Secretary Lito Atienza to build in a no-build eco zone, is the first one that should be demolished.

Then there is the establishment supposedly owned by the chairman of the Boracay Foundation. The picture I saw on Facebook shows workers still busy constructing a multi-floor building that LGU officials say does not even have a building permit.

But even if it has a building permit, whoever issued it will have a lot to explain. It is shameless of the Boracay Foundation official to use his clout for something contrary to the public good in Boracay.

Another building similar to the one still being built on another part of the island is said to be owned by a Singaporean company which also owns a hotel near Luneta. The land is supposed to be owned by a former high official in Imperial Manila.

Unless those three buildings are demolished, people will suspect that palakasan and corruption tainted the worthy effort of President Duterte to clean Boracay. We should not just clean up the sewage system. We must clean up all the corruption that caused Boracay’s problems in the first place.

Even as I support the decision to close Boracay and clean it up, it is obvious the decision was made without a clear plan. Officials on the ground were telling reporters they are crafting the rehab plan, days after Malacañang made the announcement.

Tourism industry leaders complained it was only DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez who took time to listen to them. The industry leaders explained to me the problems they must now deal with. Indeed, he said, it would take the Philippine tourism industry, and not just Boracay, a long time to recover from this mess.

Those in the business of in-bound tourism were most affected. It is the sector of the industry which actually sells the country to foreign tourists who bring in the dollars.

He explained that they sell the Philippines as a package to resellers in Europe and the United States. Boracay is the attraction, but because of the distance from the Western countries, they do not just go to Boracay but also visit other spots in the Philippines and the region.

Cancelling Boracay often means cancelling the entire package. The practice is to buy such tour packages a year in advance. And since they have tough consumer protection laws in the West, the re-seller must not just pay back but also compensate the potential visitor for damages.

The re-seller then goes back to the Philippine inbound tour operator for compensation. Philippine hotel owners eventually pay and suffer great losses. I am told one hotel has already lost P40 million from cancellations.

Also, it was explained to me that it is not easy to redirect Boracay visitors to Panglao or some other place. That’s because the other places are also already booked almost to capacity months in advance. Because Duterte called Boracay a cesspool, many potential visitors are having second thoughts about coming here at all and risk being in another cesspool.

The suddenness of the decision made even some embassies including China complain. I can understand China’s reaction. The tour groups made reservations to come because the government promised to support our tourism industry. Now, even their charter flights are all messed up.

Industry leaders told me they only wanted to move the closure date beyond the peak season. There should be nothing sacred about the April 26 closure date. As one official told one industry leader when they met at a TV studio for an interview, nagkahiyaan na kasi... kaya pinanindigan yung closure date.

I see the Boracay affair as one more reason why the tourism department should focus more on regulation than promotion. If they regulated at all, Boracay’s problem wouldn’t have been this bad. Promotion should be a private sector responsibility.

As it is, our tourism bureaucrats don’t know how to promote anyway. The Ombudsman should go through the list of projects Cesar Montano’s Tourism Promotion Board is spending our hard earned money on. Sponsorships don’t require public bidding even if the amounts are rather substantial, like in that carinderia affair.

The list will include fashion shows (at least 10 already) and local events requested by politicians that cannot be seen as tourism promotion. Even Manny Pacquiao was reported to have requested sponsorship to stage a fight.

Sen. Dick Gordon should call for a meeting of the legislative oversight committee on tourism to look into how the department is spending our money and carrying out the objectives of the Tourism Law which is Dick’s baby. It will prove to be very informative.

Dick should ask our officials how they are implementing the Tourism Law. I am sure they have no idea what they are supposed to do. It is just party time using our tax money.

Scam

Overheard someone complaining he just spent a thousand pesos on a Tiger Woods DVD entitled “My Favorite 18 Holes.” Would you believe it is all about golf? Absolute waste of money. Pass this on so no one else gets scammed.

Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @boochanco