Police, Western Visayas RPOC push for gun-free Boracay

PRIME DESTINATION Boracay Island, shown in this March photo, remains one of the country’s top tourist destinations, with its pristine waters and white sand beaches attracting locals and foreigners. Police and government officials in Western Visayas want to turn Boracay in Malay, Aklan, into a gun-free zone to keep its visitors safe. —Robert Jaworski L. Abaño

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Boracay Island, world-renowned for its pristine beaches and vibrant tourism, may soon set a precedent as the first gun-free zone in the Western Visayas region.

The regional police and the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) recently expressed their bid to redefine security standards in major tourist spots, especially Boracay in Malay, Aklan, one of the country’s prime destinations.

“Western Visayas is one of the areas where we have plenty of tourist destinations … The purpose is for local government units to pass an ordinance identifying these specific areas where they will declare the gun-free zone,” said Police Brig. Gen. Jack Wanky, Western Visayas police director.

READ: Boracay tourism dips from 1.79M to 1.72M

During the RPOC’s fourth quarter meeting on Nov. 22, a resolution was passed urging local governments in the region, consisting of Iloilo, Capiz, Antique, Aklan, and Guimaras provinces, to adopt the gun-free policy and craft ordinances for its enforcement in designated tourist destinations.

Boracay is being readied to be the pilot area for this initiative, with discussions already underway between the regional police and officials of Malay town.

The gun-free zone is grounded under Republic Act No. 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, which mandates law enforcement to identify firearm-free areas in tourist destinations and other vulnerable spots.

For Boracay, this means no firearms—even for those holding permits to carry guns.

Law enforcement officers patrolling the area will also be unarmed, although Special Weapons and Tactics teams will be stationed strategically for rapid emergency response.

‘Last option’

“The initiative aims to create a positive image of the area while reducing crimes involving firearms,” Wanky said.

Central to the project is a shift in how police officers approach their duties.

“We are trying to change the mindset that police officers should always carry guns,” Wanky said. “The use of firearms should always be the last option.”

To support this shift, the regional police office has strengthened training in self-defense and nonlethal enforcement techniques among its personnel.

“Firearms are often viewed as the first option in law enforcement, but this approach increases risks and collateral damage. This [gun-free zone] project is our way of addressing these issues,” Wanky said.

The gun-free proposal is seen to bolster Boracay’s reputation as a safe and family-friendly destination, aligning with its one-entry, one-exit system that simplifies security monitoring.

The regional police team has started coordinating with local officials, residents, and business owners to determine specific zones for the policy’s initial rollout.

The success of the Boracay pilot could pave the way for other Western Visayas tourist destinations to follow suit. With the RPOC’s resolution encouraging regionwide adoption, places like Guimaras, Iloilo City and other Aklan towns may soon join the initiative.

“There’s a lot of work to do, but we’re confident this will make Boracay an even more peaceful place for tourists,” Wanky said.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has set a target of over 2 million tourists in Boracay by the end of the year.

In 2022, the DOT unveiled three “tourism circuits” that they intended to promote—something the agency described as “deviant” from the usual beach and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibits (Mice) that they’ve promoted in previous years.

The new “tourism circuits” on the island include the Boracay biking tour which is divided into sightseeing and endurance clusters targeted at families and adventure lovers. The DOT also introduced the Boracay food crawl, which involves deconstructed full-course meals from participating restaurants, and the Boracay “wellness workstation,” which offers a relaxing retreat.