AS RESORT island Boracay reopens on Oct. 26 after a six-month closure for rehabilitation and tourism policy reshaping, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it is also ready to provide improved security measures.
“Along with the rebirth of Boracay, we are proud to showcase as well a completely overhauled security system and peace and order program that will address the perennial issues and concerns that we have experienced during the previous local tourism operations prior to the six-month rehabilitation work since April,” PNP chief Director General Oscar D. Albayalde said in a statement on Thursday, Oct. 25.
Police forces, along with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard, conducted a Capability Demonstration Exercise on the island on Thursday, showing response operations in various emergency situations.
Mr. Albayalde said the police units on the island were reorganized and more than 400 police personnel will be deployed during the reopening.
“To deal with the anticipated heavy influx of tourist arrivals upon the formal reopening of Boracay Island, we are restructuring the organization of PNP units that will be deployed in the island as well as in mainland Malay, Aklan with the objective of creating seamless but contiguously defined areas of jurisdiction under the Malay Municipal Tourist Police Station manned by 413 police personnel,” he said.
The new police unit’s headquarters will have five sub-stations located in Barangays Manoc-Manoc, Balabag, and Yapak, and in Caticlan and Poblacion.
Mr. Albayalde said they will help ensure that the prescribed maximum daily tourist capacity of 6,405 people a day will be implemented.
An inter-agency committee will be stationed at the entry point, the Cagban Port area.
The PNP chief said alternate ports will be opened in case of bad weather or sea conditions.
Mr. Albayalde also said that police presence will remain high to prevent crimes such as the proliferation of illegal drugs.
During the opening, the police will also launch the Kaligtasan at Kalikasan (KALIGKASAN) Volunteer Program with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
“KALIGKASAN is the PNP’s community-based response to environmental issues that serve the PNP’s contribution in promoting environment (protection) in all tourist destinations of the country, with Metro Boracay as the pilot project area,” he said.
OTHER ISLANDS
Meanwhile, President Rodrigo R. Duterte has ordered the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to inspect other tourism destinations in the country.
DILG Officer-in-Charge Eduardo M. Año has instructed all regional offices of the department to submit a list and summary of provincial, city, or municipal ordinances relating to environmental conservation, building construction, and easement regulations.
“The DILG will evaluate the status of sewage treatment facilities, power and water supply service capacity, and Zoning Ordinance and Comprehensive Land Use Plan of local government units (LGUs) that have beach tourism destinations,” said Mr. Año in a statement on Thursday.
The regional reports will be submitted to the DILG Beach Tourism Monitoring Team for evaluation.
“We should all learn from the Boracay experience. Let’s not wait until your beaches turn into another cesspool,” said Mr. Año.
“Complacency is tantamount to dereliction of duty. Local chief executives are accountable of regulating tourism businesses and enforcing critical environmental laws, rules and regulations, and local ordinances,” he added. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

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