DOT orders foreign offices to stop promoting Boracay

MANILA, Philippines — More than a week before the six-month closure of Boracay, the Department of Tourism (DOT) has issued a memorandum order asking its central and foreign offices to stop promoting the island.

The order obtained by The STAR yesterday said Boracay should be excluded from all the promotional campaigns of the DOT following President Duterte’s order to shut down the island for six months starting April 26.

The island will also be secured heavily during its closure to stop people from sneaking into the area while rehabilitation efforts are ongoing.

The Police Regional Office 6-Western Visayas (PRO 6) said over 600 police and military personnel will secure Boracay along with the Philippine Coast Guard.

But some of the rules were relaxed for the sake of the residents, allowing them, for instance, to fish anywhere in the island.

The DOT said the central and foreign offices should instead “strongly” endorse the many alternative Philippine tourist destinations, “particularly emerging attractions in the Mindanao regions.”

However, Jose Clemente III, president of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines, cried foul over the DOT’s order, saying the government should not stop the marketing strategies to promote Boracay even with its closure to maintain its name in the world market.

Clemente said it is important to keep promoting Boracay and retain its good reputation internationally in time for its reopening.

Earlier this month, Duterte approved the recommendation of the inter-agency task force to close the island for six months after he called it a cesspool.

Select tourism stakeholders and the inter-agency task force met on Tuesday to discuss the developments on the rehabilitation program, but Clemente said that “there was no take away during the meeting.”

The government did not consider appeals to rehabilitate the island by phase instead of shutting it down, saying the degradation entailed closure.

In Boracay, Lt. Commander Ramil Palabrica, chief of the PCG-Caticlan station, said they are considering people’s complaints and pleas, thus they are allowing residents to fish beyond the 15-kilometer radius from the shoreline during the shutdown.

But to ensure that only Boracay residents could fish in the area, Palabrica said they would enforce the safety, security and environmental numbering system – meaning the PCG will issue an identification number for each vessel.

Palabrica said they have also agreed to bend the rule on “no floating structures” from 15 kilometers to three kilometers from the shoreline.

Palabrica said such rule would only be applicable to members of the Boracay Boat Association.

The swimming area for Boracay residents was also transferred from Angol Beach in Station 3 to Station 1, Palabrica said, adding markers will be installed for the purpose.

Palabrica said they changed the venue because corals might be destroyed if Angol Beach, which is not accessible to vehicles in case of emergency, will be made as the swimming area.

But still, swimming will be allowed from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. only.

The adjustments were discussed during the Save Boracay conference Tuesday night with representatives from the inter-agency task force composed of the DOT, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippine National Police (PNP), PCG and other government agencies.

Chief Supt. Cesar Hawthorne Binag, PRO 6 chief and chairman of the Regional Peace and Order Council, said the adjustments are proof that the government is listening to suggestions and that “we are working to make the transition smooth and the rehabilitation process as peaceful as possible.”

Binag said the rules might evolve as the shutdown nears.

No protests

Binag said authorities are likewise preparing for the meddling of militants, who might egg residents and people in the area to stage protests against the government’s rehabilitation efforts.?At present, teams from the PNP, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), PCG and other law enforcement units are providing security in the area.?Binag said they added Civil Disturbance Management or anti-riot police personnel as part of the contingency plan in case protesters are able to slip in.

PCG spokesman Captain Armand Balilo said the agency will be deploying two ships – the BRP Davao del Norte that will come from Iloilo and the BRP Cabra that will come from Manila – to guard the island alongside the Philippine Navy and the PNP.

Balilo said there will be medical and dental missions in the poorest communities in the area during the closure to ensure the welfare of residents.

There will also be marine studies and a check on the safety of transferring petroleum from Caticlan to Boracay. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Evelyn Macairan, Jess Diaz