Boracay reopens on June 16

By Hanah Tabios, Genalyn Kabiling, and Jeffrey Damicog Boracay Island will again accept tourists beginning June 16 after the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) approved on June 11 Aklan's recommendation to reopen the island exclusively for residents from the Western Visayas region. The development came after the Boracay rehabilitation task force – led by Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy Cimatu and his co-chairs, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año and Department of Tourism (DOT) chief Berna Romulo-Puyat – visited the island resort on Thursday for a meeting with the local government unit (LGU) and other concerned stakeholders. Yesterday, Malacañang said tourism operations may resume at halfcapacity in other destinations under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ). Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Bohol, Baguio, and other travel destinations are expected to reopen, but only at 50 percent operational capacity to local travelers. The recommendation to reopen was made by Aklan Governor Florencio Miraflores and Malay town Mayor Floribar Bautista, and was unanimously approved by the Boracay rehabilitation body, Año said. But only locals from Negros Occidental, Guimaras, Iloilo, Antique, Aklan, and Capiz will have the privilege to enter the island on its reopening, Cimatu said. “Hindi problema 'yung carrying capacity dahil mga taga-Western Visayas pa lang naman ang papayagang makapasok (Carrying capacity is not a problem because only residents of Western Visayas will be allowed to enter),” Puyat said in a press conference. But she said cruise ships visiting the island are still prohibited from docking at the cruise port amid travel restriction protocols. Boracay has remained COVID-free since the pandemic erupted. But Puyat said health and safety protocols in the island were already in place prior to its reopening. She said tourists will have to undergo the usual temperature checks, mandatory wearing of masks, and other safety protocols imposed by the LGU and DOT to visit Boracay. Boracay water safe As Boracay reopens to local tourists, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is closely monitoring the water quality on the island. Cimatu expressed gladness about the present water quality of Boracay. The safe level is 100 mpn/100 ml for Class SB water that is suitable for swimming, skin diving and other recreational activities. “Malinis na kung maka 100. Kung mas mababa yan sa 100, mas malinis, so ang average na nakukuha ko dito ay 1.0, from February. Pinakataas lang dito ay 20, so yan ang standard ngayon ng water quality dito sa Boracay. Wala na yung cesspool, gumanda na lalo pa na walang nagsi-swimming (It is already clean at 100. If it is lower, then that means it is much cleaner, so the average we have here is 1.0, from February. The highest is 20, so that is the standard water quality now in Boracay. It's not a cesspool anymore and it is more beautiful now, especially that no one is swimming),” he said in a briefing Thursday. Still GCQ for NCR? Meanwhile, Año said the National capital Region (NCR or Metro Manila) will most likely remain under general community quarantine (GCQ). “Malamang mag-remain yan sa GCQ (It will most likely remain under GCQ),” he said in an interview over CNN Philippines. Año warned that we might regret easing quarantine restrictions in Metro Manila considering that the number of cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Metro Manila has not dropped significantly. “Patuloy pa rin may mga fresh or new cases (There continue to be fresh or new cases),” he said during the interview. “So, if we are going to relax it now, baka mabulunan o madapa. Kumbaga okay na tayo pero dahil niluwagan mo bumalik na naman at nagkaroon ng mas marami (So if we are going to relax it now we might choke or trip. Meaning, we are fine now but if we loosen up, the number of cases might increase),” he said. Año said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) will be meeting on Monday, June 15, to determine its final recommendations to President Duterte on what to do with places under GCQ. The IATF is awaiting recommendations based on consultations for areas under GCQ. Año noted that the Metro Manila Council will be meeting this Saturday, June 13, to determine what recommendations it will make to the IATF. “Ia-akyat yan sa IATF (the recommendations will be brought before the IATF) and IATF will finally make the final recommendations for the President’s decision,” he said. “Ang binabantayan kasi naman natin dito ang (The places we are closely monitoring are the) NCR, ang Cebu City, tapos yung Region 2, Region 3, at Region 4A,” he said. Aside from these, other areas placed under GCQ are Albay and Pangsinan. Año expressed concern over Cebu City which already surpassed Quezon City in terms of the number of COVID19 cases. “Ang Cebu City nilampasan na nga niya yung Quezon City with the total number of 2,549 cases. Ang Quezon City, pinakamalaking siyudad natin, may 2,519 na lang (Cebu City surpassed Quezon City with the total number of cases at 2,549. Quezon City which is the largest city in the country has 2,519 cases),” he noted. Although Region 4A is showing improved statistics, Año pointed out that only Quezon province has shown improvements compared to the other provinces in the region. (With a report from PNA)