Palace wants more info on proposed Boracay closure

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang has ordered agencies to elaborate on their recommendation to close Boracay island on April 26 after they submitted a two-paragraph letter on the matter.

Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Department of Tourism (DOT) submitted a two-paragraph letter recommending a six-month closure of the top tourist spot.

“We received the recommendation, a short letter with the very short content from the DENR, the DILG as well as the DOT recommending that the closure of Boracay start on April 26 and, of course, six months thereafter,” Guevarra said in a press briefing yesterday.

“The Office of the President through the Executive Secretary’s office has requested the three agencies to submit a more detailed memo on the justification or if there is any qualification at all to their recommendation and I think today, we’ll be receiving those memoranda expanding, explaining and justifying their recommendation,” he added.

Guevarra said the Boracay issue would be the administration’s “top priority” this week.

“It’s the economic impact on the island and the people residing and working there that have to be considered by the President as well; not only the environment but also people, their livelihood, businesses – all of these will have to be taken into account,” he said.

Guevarra noted the Department of Trade and Industry has recommended that the closure be done in phases because of its possible impact on residents.

Casinos’ compliance

At the same briefing, Guevarra said the establishment of casinos in Boracay would not cause any problem if they comply with existing regulations.

“First of all, it’s (up to) Pagcor (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.) whether to grant or not to grant a license to operate. And what I can say is, for as long as any establishment – for that matter, including this casino –  complies with all the regulatory requirements like environmental rules and regulations, there should be no problem with that,” he said. “That also provides employment for residents there.”

The two firms said to be planning casino operations in Boracay are Macau-based Galaxy Entertainment Group and Resorts World Manila, according to previous reports.

When reminded about Duterte’s moratorium on new casinos, Guevarra said, “If there is such a moratorium, I am not factually certain... But if there is, then the operation of that casino will have to be suspended in the meantime, right?”

“But the construction is another matter. It’s just, you know, concrete, sand and so forth and so on. There are no operations yet. It could actually be, maybe transformed into a hotel or some other business establishment. Not necessarily a casino,” he added.

Last January, Duterte imposed a moratorium on the entry and creation of new casinos supposedly to prevent the overcrowding of players in the industry.

Guevarra said the local governments should be at the forefront of monitoring the establishments’ compliance with regulations.

June closure

As this developed, a group of tour operators is urging the deferment of the planned closure of Boracay from April 26 to June.

“If ever (the closure) will push through, we (are requesting) that they move it to June because this is when the monsoon season comes in,” Philippine Tour Operators Association Inc. (PHILTOA) president Cesar Cruz said in a radio interview yesterday.

“We tour operators discourage tourists from coming to Boracay during this season because of the strong waves,” he added, noting that the monsoon season usually lasts until August or September.

Cruz emphasized that the closure of the island will impact not only Boracay, but also the entire Philippine tourism sector, as the island has become its symbol.  – Catherine Talavera

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