ILOILO CITY – As COVID-19 cases and deaths surged quickly in Aklan, a major business group now supports the government’s decision imposing stricter quarantine status even it will have a negative impact on the tourism industry of Boracay Island.
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI-Boracay Chapter) released a statement this week that it backs the efforts of the both the local government of Malay and provincial government of Aklan in curbing the alarming rise of COVID-19 cases.
“Boracay Island businesses and enterprises is at a stop,” PCCI-Boracay said in a statement, following the national government decision placing Aklan under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) status since Aug 1 and that leisure travel is temporarily prohibited.
This week alone, Aklan is averaging more than 100 new COVID-19 cases per day. The MECQ status is expected to last until Aug. 15.
With the realities on the ground, PCCI-Boracay Chapter backed off from its previous stance that urged the national government to have a less restrictive quarantine status for the country’s most popular beach destination so that tourism will continue.
The PCCI-Boracay Chapter urged businesses in Boracay and other stakeholders to cooperate in order to bring down the number of new COVID-19 cases and that tourism can resume at the soonest possible time.
Once the public health concern is resolved, the PCCI-Boracay Chapter hopes the economic concerns will also be addressed.