2,000 visitors in Oslob; ‘more solemn’ Holy Week in Bantayan

ABOUT 2,000 visitors went to Oslob town in south Cebu on Black Saturday to watch whale sharks.

Yesterday’s crowd was double the size of  visitors on  Holy Thursday,  said PO2 Nelson Mendaros of the Oslob Police Station.

There were  no whale shark watching guides on Good Friday.

He said most of the visitors were local tourists with a few foreigners. The crowd peaked at 9 a.m. and thinned out towards the 1 p.m. cut-off.

Oslob Mayor Ronald Guaren also dropped by the coastal barangay, which is a distance from the town’s poblacion to check on the visitors.

Meanwhile, in Bantayan Island in northern Cebu, there were a few cases of drunken conduct but police said it was “more solemn” this year for Holy Week.

Mayor Ian Christopher Escario said restaurant and  bar owners helped by heeding his request not to play loud music starting Holy Wednesday.

No bikini shows were held in line with a strict Capitol policy against it.

The mayor said despite the ban, it didn’t affect the  tourism industry and that resorts and pension houses in the island were fully booked despite  charging double room rates for the peak season.

He said at least 10 class reunions were held this week, with on batch organizing an Easter Fun Run today. /Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus