Boracay’s Opening in October Will Set the Stage for New Accreditation Indicators
The government’s closure of Boracay will soon come to an end on October 26, 2018. Before the island opens once again to tourists, the Department of Tourism (DOT) looks to lay out the foundation to avoid deterioration which led to its rehabilitation.
The white beach in Boracay will soon welcome tourists once again after the six-month rehabilitation./PRIMER FILE PHOTO
One of the new rules laid down to maintain the cleanliness of Boracay includes the “e-trike only” campaign as announced by Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, head of the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force, last month. Another is the new environmental indicators to accreditation by the DOT.
Undersecretary for Tourism Development Benito Bengzon Jr. announced that Boracay will finally be accessible to the public come October 26 for a soft-opening. DOT has also released a list of the 25 accommodation establishments who have complied with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
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The list includes Hue Hotel, Astoria Current, Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel, and Casa Pilar Beach Resort. Under the new accreditation indicators, establishments will be encouraged to use alternative environment-friendly items like shampoo dispensers, liquid body soaps, and conditioners.
“…when we relaunch Boracay, it would be a better destination, more environment-friendly, and it will be more secure and we have to make sure that, more important than anything else, we avoid the problems that led to its closure in the first place,” says Bengzon.
DOT seeks to implement the new accreditation indicators for accommodation establishments to the rest of the country. This measure, authored by Sangguniang Bayan member Nenette Aguirre-Graf, complements the existing Municipal Ordinance No. 320, series of 2012, prohibiting the use of plastic bags on dry goods, regulating its utilization on wet goods and prohibiting the use of styrofoam.
Source: Department of Energy, Philippine Information Agency, Department of Tourism Facebook Page
