Suspension of dragon boat activities stays in Boracay

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — The suspension of dragon boat activities in Boracay will be indefinite until the safety of the paddlers are assured, an official of a multiagency task force said on Tuesday.

According to Natividad Bernardino, general manager of the Boracay Interagency Rehabilitation Management Group, the directive of Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu issued last week will stay until the task force is “convinced that safety protocols are in place and will be implemented.”

Among these measures are the wearing of safety vests even during training sessions and requiring those steering dragon boats to undergo certification, she said.

Protocol review

Cimatu ordered the suspension of dragon boat activities to allow the task force to review and improve safety protocols following the death of seven paddlers in an accident on Sept. 25.

The paddlers, all members of Boracay Dragon Force team, were preparing for a competition and were transferring to a training venue when their boat was hit by a squall and capsized. Fourteen others were rescued.

Support for the fatalities’ families continued to pour in as residents and paddlers continued to mourn and offer tributes.

On Oct. 4, musicians and performers on Boracay Island will hold a “jamming session” at Bombom Bar to raise funds for the victims’ families. The event, set for noon to 12 a.m., is free but those attending are encouraged to donate for the families of the seven paddlers.

An online fundraising drive (through https://www.gofundme.com/f/dragon-boat-team-tragedy) raised $6,525 (P339,205.39) as of Tuesday. A trust fund has been set up to receive donations which will be equally given to the families of the victims, most of them breadwinners. —Nestor P. Burgos Jr.