Boracay folk, groups to hold caravan vs closure
LIFE’S A BEACH—NO MORE The hordes of tourists who used to frolic on the country’s premier beach destination are nowhere in sight despite the start of the Lenten holiday, no thanks to the government plan to close the island to visitors. —FILE PHOTO/Lyn Rillon, PDI
KALIBO, Aklan – Various groups and individuals opposing the closure of Boracay Island will hold a protest caravan on Thursday.
The #NoToBoracayClosure! #DefendLivelihood! Coalition will lead the 71-kilometer caravan from the capital town of Kalibo in Aklan to Barangay Caticlan in Malay town, the jump off point to Boracay Island.
The coalition which includes religious leaders, transport groups, professionals, small business operators and militant organizations, while supporting the environmental rehabilitation of Boracay, are opposing the closure of the island because of its massive impact on the livelihood of tens of thousands of residents, workers and small business operators.
About 30,000 workers are expected to be affected by the closure that could last for six months.
The province of Aklan is also expected to be severely hit by the closure because a significant portion of its revenues are from Boracay’s tourism industry.
At least 25 vehicles will join the caravan that will pass and hold short stopovers in seven of the 17 towns of the province. These include the towns of Kalibo, Numancia, Makato, Tangalan, Ibajay, Nabas and Malay.
The Aklan Electric Cooperative (Akelco) is among those opposing the closure of the island because it will result in losses reaching to P16.5 million monthly.
The electric cooperative, the lone power distributor of Aklan’s 17 towns and two municipalities of Antique province, will still continue to pay its suppliers even if power consumption will drop by half due to the closure of the island.
Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate who spoke before a meeting of the coalition said Aklan residents and those who care for Boracay should speak out against the “arbitrary” closure of the island.
Zarate authored a House resolution seeking an investigation on the imminent closure of the island and the putting up of a controversial $500-million casino resort on a 23-hectare property on the island.
