TEXT AND PHOTOS BY HERMES JOY S. TUNAC
BORACAY— After being closed to local and foreign tourists for more than six months because of the pandemic, Boracay, the world-renowned white-sand paradise island off Aklan, officially reopens today.
One look at Boracay’s white sand and clear blue waters immediately reminded us of why it is often regarded as one of the world’s best islands. As expected, the beach is calm in the absence of crowds, save for a few people who have gone ahead to take a dip in the inviting waters. Most of the establishments are also still shuttered, but locals welcomed the visiting members of the press and the Department of Tourism warmly, almost signifying that the excitement over the reopening goes both ways — felt by hosts and tourists alike.
“Our world-famous island is opening to more travelers outside Western Visayas starting on Oct. 1, and I couldn’t be more excited,” says Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat in a Facebook post. “With a new COVID-19 lab in Kalibo and nearly 200 certified and accredited hotels and resorts, Boracay is ready and prepared to safely welcome guests back to its shores,” Romulo-Puyat adds.
According to sources in the DOT, Romulo-Puyat was supposed to lead Boracay’s reopening, but was advised by her doctors to go on self-quarantine for 10 days because she had a recent close contact with a person who tested positive. “Even if the Secretary tested negative in her RT PCR test on Monday, Sept. 28, and showing no symptoms of the virus, she is exercising all necessary precautions for the safety of everyone, ” the insider, who requested not to be identified, said.
Safety first
To avoid the further spread of COVID-19, Boracay-bound guests are now required by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Boracay Interagency Task Force to present results of a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, stating that they’re negative of SARS-CoV-2, otherwise known as the novel coronavirus, within 48 to 72 hours before the date of their arrival.
Back in June, Boracay, one of the country’s top tourists draws, in a bid to test the waters, opened its doors to a limited number of tourists from Western Visayas, a region where Boracay and its mother province Aklan belong to.
As long as they test negative and are in fairly good health, travelers (even those younger than 21 and older than 60) from areas under general community quarantine, including Metro Manila, are welcome to visit the island. However, strict health protocols such as physical distancing and the wearing of face masks will still be enforced throughout their stay.
The safe and responsible reopening of Boracay on a wider scale is on top of DOT’s agenda to jumpstart the country’s stalled tourism efforts and generate much-needed economic activity in the region.
