REOPENING. The world-famous Boracay Island prepares for reopening on June 16. Malay Mayor Frolibar Bautista on Friday (June 12, 2020) said reopening the island would help gradually recover the estimated PHP12-billion losses incurred due to the Covid-19 crisis. (PNA file photo by Gail Momblan)
ILOILO CITY – The approved reopening of Boracay to tourists from Western Visayas starting June 16 will greatly help lift the economy and the lives of locals, the mayor of Malay town in Aklan province said Friday.
Malay has lost about PHP12 billion after it was closed to tourists due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) health crisis, Mayor Frolibar Bautista told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
The closure of the PHP47-billion industry had a domino effect that caused unemployment and loss of income.
“The town has lost its income. The labor sector and the private sector were badly hit,” Bautista said, adding that the town has been preparing for the island’s reopening to tourists.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said accommodation establishments on the island would have to submit a letter of intent to operate.
As of Thursday, the government has received 90 letters of intent out of some 390 accredited establishments, Bautista said.
The local government unit will also ensure that tourists have pre-booked their hotels to avoid a surge in the number of visitors.
“One cannot enter Boracay without pre-booking. Tourists will be screened at the Caticlan port and they will be required (a) confirmation voucher (from the accommodation establishment where they will stay),” he said.
Bautista also assured that minimum health protocols, such as wearing face masks and observing strict physical distancing and proper hygiene would be practiced.
Since the global outbreak of the disease, Malay has one confirmed case who had already recovered, he said, assuring that the island is free from the virus.
“We will be opening for Region 6 (Western Visayas). Boracay is not only ours. It belongs to Region 6. We should love it as the tourism industry can help us a lot,” Bautista said, thanking the people for their cooperation in making the quarantine protocols successful.
“We are happy because, in spite of the happenings, the cooperation of our locals helped us achieve the objectives. We are surpassing the problem on Covid-19,” he said. (PNA)
