DOT eyes closure of Boracay for 2 months

MANILA, Philippines — In a bid to lessen the blow to the tourism industry, the Department of Tourism (DOT) is hoping for only two months of total closure of Boracay Island to local and foreign tourists.

On the sidelines of the iMake History Fortress opening in Intramuros yesterday, Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo told reporters that the proposed full closure of the world-renowned island might not last for a full year as reported earlier.

She also does not fully agree with the call of several tourism stakeholders to go, instead, for a phase-by-phase closure, saying this will only lengthen the period to clean the island, which President Duterte earlier described as a cesspool.

Teo acknowledged that the closure would affect the DOT’s tourist arrivals target under the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP).

“That’s why I said we want to do it in two months because we will be affected,” Teo said.

Under the NTDP, the DOT is expecting foreign arrivals to hit 7.4 million by the end of the year.

Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP) president Jojo Clemente told The STAR that the tourism industry would be amenable if the rehabilitation will be done phase by phase, adding that a yearlong closure would impact on the entire country’s tourism sector.

“We have to remember that Boracay is just one place, but you cannot separate that from the Philippines,” Clemente said. “You cannot isolate Boracay. It’s part of the total Philippine tourism product. When you take Boracay out of the picture, it will not only be Boracay that will eventually be affected (but) the entire Philippines.”

He explained that Boracay is a staple destination in tour packages offered by travel agencies. While tourists might agree on replacing Boracay with an alternative destination in the country, he doubts if these places have the capacity to cater to the additional number of tourists.  

“We can easily say that we can substitute Cebu, Bohol, but can the capacities of these places take the slump of Boracay, considering these are also heavily visited places? So, we cannot really add more to what they are taking in,” Clemente pointed out.

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, who led an interagency task force that would solve Boracay’s woes, earlier recommended the total closure of the island for a maximum of one year.

While no definite date has been set on when the shutdown will start, Teo said everyone should just wait for the announcement of Duterte.

“We just want the President to declare it,” Teo said. “I think he will make the announcement before the next Cabinet meeting (in April).”

Colliers International Philippines research manager Joey Roi Bondoc earlier told The STAR the closure of the island will definitely affect the legitimate businesses that complied with the local government’s policies and will impact the country’s competitiveness.

“Over the long run this might impair the Philippines’ competitiveness as a leisure investment destination,” Bondoc said.

In the 2017 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness report by the World Economic Forum (WEF), the Philippines slipped to 79th rank, five spots lower than its ranking in 2015.

The report said there are several categories where the Philippines needs to improve substantially, such as in safety and security, where the country ranks 126th.