Tourism stakeholders preparing Boracay marketing blitz

MANILA, Philippines — As the closure of Boracay draws closer, local businesses and other stakeholders are preparing a massive marketing effort to win back tourists and sustain the island’s status as a premier holiday destination.

“On the tourism side, we are preparing marketing efforts that will hopefully keep Boracay and the Philippines in the consciousness of our foreign markets,” Jose Clemente III, president of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines, said.

Clemente said they are considering providing special rates and amenities to visitors to Boracay as they hope for a fruitful re-opening of the world famous resort island on Oct. 25.

He said they hope the closure will not affect overall tourist arrivals in the country.

Organizers of the “LaBoracay2018” announced on Friday the cancellation of the event even as they expressed support for President Duterte’s order to close the island for six months.

They said the Department of Tourism (DOT) is coordinating with hotels and airline companies for full refund of expenses for advance bookings.

Despite Duterte’s decision to close Boracay, Clemente said they are still hoping the President will reconsider his decision and come up with a more acceptable arrangement.

“Hopefully we can find someone who can intercede on our behalf or he can accept dialogue with us. That would be much appreciated,” Clemente said.

He admitted they were receiving complaints from disappointed foreign clients, especially Europeans, many of whom had made bookings a year in advance.

“They’re very disappointed because they wanted to go to the Philippines because of Boracay, which is the center of Philippine tourism. The European market – they set their vacations one year in advance,” he said.

Clemente said they are also offering tourists other travel destinations in the Philippines.

For Sen. Richard Gordon, a Boracay rehabilitation master plan should have been in place before the implementation of the closure order.

Gordon said it must be clear what exactly would be done during the rehabilitation of the island and what should be expected once it is complete.

He said a master plan should also include the specific roles of every stakeholder in a rehabilitated Boracay.

A former tourism secretary, Gordon said Boracay as a national treasure should be purely for tourism and recreational purposes and not a residential area.

He said the problem with Boracay was that residential developments cropped up over the years, resulting in the destruction of the island’s ecosystem.

Gordon cited the case of Baguio City, which he said also has no development master plan.

He noted that Baguio was designed to accommodate 30,000 persons at any given time but over the years, more residential developments emerged and with this came the various other establishments such as schools and malls.

But the senator clarified he fully supports the closure of Boracay but stressed it should be done partially.

“It’s a bit drastic but it sends a very strong message that government means business and everyone must follow,” Gordon said.

If there is a master plan, Gordon said there would be no need to close the entire island as work could be done in phases.

Gordon said he would push for the adoption of the Maldives model which bars anyone from taking residence in the island resort. Apart from essential personnel, Gordon said everyone else who works in the island should leave after work.

He said there should also be no garbage left on Boracay so every day all of the trash should be collected and removed from the island.

Meanwhile, interior and local government officer-in-charge Eduardo Año said swimming should be banned in the polluted waters of Bulabog Beach in Boracay.

“I was conducting an inspection when I saw unruly children playing on the beach,” Año said yesterday in a phone interview. “We need to do an advocacy and information drive banning swimming there.”

The area is notorious for its heavily polluted waters coming from waste dumped by commercial establishments.

He said such campaign should include placing posters in the vicinity warning residents of the risk of contracting diseases from swimming in the waters of Bulabog Beach.

After telling the children to leave the beach, Año continued his inspection of the voluntary demolition of establishments that violated the rule on the 30-meter easement from the shoreline.

He also met with local government officials to discuss measures to facilitate the rehabilitation of the island.

He said he has scheduled tentatively for April 17 a meeting with the establishment owners.

“If they will ask to overturn the decision of the President, that will never happen,” said Año.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will activate operations centers for workers who will be affected by the six-month closure of Boracay.

In a statement yesterday, the DSWD said it will activate two operations centers in Aklan starting April 26, one at Boracay and one in the mainland in front of the Malay Municipal Hall, to facilitate the release of assistance and emergency welfare services for families and workers who will be affected by the closure.

DSWD officer-in-charge Emmanuel Leyco assigned regional director Rebecca Geamala as head of Boracay Ground Operations who will oversee the implementation of programs such as sustainable livelihood program, cash-for-work, assistance to individuals in crisis situation, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and the supplementary feeding program.

Leyco said 2,348 household members of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program will be affected by the closure.

“We know that the closure will have significant negative effects on households and employment,” said Leyco.

“We will work as best as we can to mitigate these effects by engaging in convergence efforts with other government agencies,” he added.  – Marvin Sy, Emmanuel Tupas, Janvic Mateo