DILG warns Aklan, Malay LGUs vs. Boracay breaching tourist threshold anew

The local governments of Aklan and Malay will be issued show cause orders if the daily maximum capacity of Boracay is again breached, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said on Thursday.

Visitors in the resort island hit more than 20,000 on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, going over the 19,215 limit set way before the pandemic in 2018 to take care of the ecological balance.

“We cannot go back to square one especially now that we are still in the middle of a pandemic," Año said.

"Our efforts to rehabilitate and reverse the ecological degradation of the island will all be futile if we become negligent in complying with the guidelines set by the National Government,” he added.

Año hit acting Malay Mayor Frolibar Bautista for downplaying the influx of tourists as “normal” citing the restrictions on the mobility of Filipinos during the height of the pandemic.

“Hindi ito normal. Ito ay paglabag sa umiiral na polisiya," Año said.

"Noong 2018 pa lamang at wala pang pandemya, itinakda na natin kung ano ang kapasidad ng Boracay, kung gaano karami lamang ang pwedeng tanggapin na turista ng isla,” he added.

(This is not normal because it is in violation of existing policies. Even before the pandemic in 2018, we have already set the capacity of Boracay and how many tourists they can accommodate in a day.)

"We must draw the line to ensure that our policies are being complied with on the ground. Kung kailangang mag-issue ng SCO para sa mga paglabag ay iyan po ang gagawin ng aming Kagawaran," Año said.

(If we need to issue an SCO, then our department will do so.) —NB, GMA News