No noise, partying in Boracay on Good Friday
TOURISTS enjoy the white sand beach of Boracay INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
BORACAY ISLAND, Philippines—Bad news for those who expect to party on Good Friday on this resort-island.
The municipal government of Malay, which has territorial jurisdiction over Boracay, has banned loud noise and parties on the resort-island on Good Friday to give Catholics a chance to reflect on the significance of Holy Week.
The ban takes effect from 6 a.m. of Good Friday to 6 a.m. of Black Saturday.
The policy has been enforced on Boracay for three years now, said Vice Mayor Wilbec Gileto, owner of Club Paraw, one of the busiest bars on station 1 where most parties are conducted.
He pointed out that Good Friday is a “solemn day for Catholics that should be respected.”
There will also be a procession at the White Beach, a 4-kilometer stretch where most of the bars, resorts and restaurants are located.
Gileto said bars and restaurants could still continue operating on Good Friday but they would not be allowed to play loud music.
He said police would patrol the island to ensure that the policy is being complied with.
Georgen dela Cuesta said he has no objection to the ordinance even if he is a Born Again Christian.
“We should respect the norms of people belonging to a different religion,” said Dela Cuesta, a gym owner.
The policy prohibiting partying from 6 a.m. on Good Friday until 6 a.m. on Black Saturday is based on a municipal resolution, according to Malay Councilor Rowen Aguirre, chair of the council’s committee on laws and regulations.
While there is no punitive provision in the ordinance, the municipal government does not issue permits to events during the period and all establishments are notified of the prohibition.
Violators will also be advised by policemen to turn down or off loud sound systems, according to Aguirre.
Records at the Municipal Tourism Office in Malay showed that at least 17,000 tourists arrived on the island from April 13 to April 15.
But the Department of Tourism in Western Visayas said that its previous data had showed tourism arrival on the island would usually reach 35,000 during the entire Holy Week—from Holy Monday to Easter Sunday.
Senior Supt. Samuel Nacion, Aklan provincial director, said that policemen on the island are on full alert to ensure the security of tourists.
Nacion said at least 100 policemen belonging to the Boracay Tourist Assistance Center have been deployed to the island.
Volunteers and members of other police units are also on the island as backup force for the main police security group there.
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