Chinese firms in Boracay required to have English trade names, employ Filipino workers

BORACAY ISLAND, Aklan — Chinese establishments on Boracay Island should have trade names primarily in English and should “employ Filipino workers in general,” an official of the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) said Thursday.

Interior Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said a multi-agency ad hoc committee will be created to “immediately look into issues” concerning the sudden proliferation of Chinese establishments on the 1,032-hectare island.

Speaking at a press conference after a BIATF meeting held at the Paradise Garden resort here, Densing said the committee would be composed of representatives from the Malay municipal government in Aklan, which includes Boracay, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Justice, the Department of Trade and Industry, and BIATF.

The committee will review the issuance of licenses and permits given to Chinese establishments as well as the employment status of Chinese workers.

Several Boracay residents and business operators have complained about the sudden proliferation of Chinese establishments on the island, especially those that do not have English or Filipino signages. Most of them also reportedly do not have menus in other languages.

The establishments, many along the island’s main road, employ Chinese workers and some were turning away non-Chinese customers, according to the residents.

Densing said the use of a Chinese trade name should be secondary and there should be at least an English translation.

He said the ad hoc committee will check if the establishments are employing Filipinos in general. Any violation discovered by the ad hoc committee would be corrected immediately, and a notice would be given to the establishments. /ee