Complaints against “commissioners” at the front beach: “harassing” again?

The Chief of Malay Auxillary Police or MAP in Boracay had promised to take action on the complaints regarding the “commissioners’”  somewhat “harassing” and “ambushing” way of dealing with tourists at the front beach this morning.

This followed after a complaint from a certain Jonathan Escubar, an employee on the island and had claimed - along with his relatives who were in the island for a vacation - to be a victim of these commissioners.

Escubar expressed the annoyance they felt earlier this morning explaining how their way was blocked while they were offered with sea sports activities.

Aside from this, one of his relatives who was sun-bathing was woken up by a commissioner just to offer activities of some sorts.

In line with this, MAP Island Chief, Rommel Salsona will motion his personnel to take action as a response to the complaint.

The Chief said that these commissioners should be at the vegetation area only, and were not supposed to be in the way of the tourists.

Recently he added, these agents are only allowed at stations 1 and 3, as they were prohibited to transact any activities at station 2.

Meanwhile this practice has been a usual complaint from resort owners and tourists that these commissioners appear to be of a bother to some tourists who were on the island to relax.

DRY RUN oF tHE RE-ROUTING fOR tHE ARRIVAL oF "THE LEGEND OF THE SEAS" SET oN FRIDAY

The dry run for the re-routing of traffic in Boracay will be held Friday, October 26.

This is in preparation for the arrival of the Carribbean Cruise "Legend of the Seas," Saturday, October 27.

The re-routing, according to P/S Insp. Joeffer Cabural, the Chief of Boracay Tourist Assistance Center (BTAC), is to avoid heavy traffic on Saturday when the more than 2 thousand tourists from the cruise ship will go to Boracay Island.

Related to the preparations will be the posting of Personnel from the Police, Army, Municipal Auxiliary Police (MAP), village watchmen, and other Non-Government Organizations in Boracay for the security of the visiting tourists.

Cabura also requested for cooperation and understanding from motorists, especially tricycle drivers. He included in his request the compliance to the re-routing which will be implemented starting Friday for a smooth flow of traffic.

Meanwhile, since Cabural was newly instated as the Chief of BTAC and this will the first major event in which he will be taking care of security as BTAC’s Chief, he considers it as a challenge and believes that everything will be orderly.

He added nevertheless that things were all set for the deployment of friendly forces of the government for Saturday.

ADDITIONAL CLASSROOMS tO bE REQUESTED bY tHE TOWN COUNCIL oF MALAY fROM DEPED

Additional classrooms for Boracay National High School (BNHS), Balabag is to be requested by the Town Council of Malay.

The Town Council itself had acknowledged that the school lacks classrooms and even lacks teachers.

Regarding the matter, a resolution which is now on its 2^nd reading is being prepared requesting the national government to add classrooms at BNHS.

In the resolution, the setting of fund for additional classrooms for BNHS will be requested from the Department of Education (DepEd) to maintain the quality of education for the youth at the school.

This is allegedly in light of the plan of the Local Government of Malay to add classrooms to the school but its fund is currently insufficient.

BNHS is experiencing difficulties or problems. Aside from the increasing number of students, when it rains, classrooms could not be used since the classrooms get flooded. These classrooms end up serving as homes for fishes.

“Crematorium,” solution to Boracay’s cemetery problem

A “Crematory in Boracay,” this would be the solution to the nearly packed cemetery in the island, particularly at Barangay Manoc-manoc.

This has been one of the topics discussed at the SB session last Tuesday, when SB Member Dante Pagsugiron brought up the problem about the Manoc-manoc Cemetery, where in it is almost full to capacity and has no available area for possible transfers.

Aside from that of Manoc-manoc, the SB had also observed that the same happens to the Balabag cemetery which has a rather small area.

One of the cited dilemmas is that the area appears to be utilized with no certain arrangement, causing niches or tombs to be placed in a seemingly scattered manner, thereby causing confusion to the public as to where to pass for instance.

In line with this, SB Member Esel Flores suggested that the council consider the proposition of a “Crematory in the island or Malay” more so that this is already accepted by the society.

This, he added is the only solution he sees for the problems with the cemeteries in Boracay.

ALLEGATION AGAINST a DOG CATCHER DENIED; TOWN COUNCIL tO INVESTIGATE tHE ORDINANCE oN STRAY DOGS

The dog catcher of Boracay, Jun Jun Mendoza pointedly denied the allegation by 2 Swiss nationals that he caught stray dogs and butchered and sold them.

This was exposed by Town Council Member Dante Pagsuguiron, Committee Chairman of Agriculture at the Session Wednesday morning, October 23.

This was after the allegation from the 2 Swiss nationals against Mendoza was discussed during a privilege speech at the session.

According to the Councilman, he had started the investigation or the questioning on Mendoza, and the dog catcher had denied wrongdoing.

Regarding this, Pagsuguiron had allegedly given instruction to Mendoza to take good care of caught stray dogs and to feed them correctly and that the dogs should be at the dog pound according to an Ordinance.

Because of the incident, the Councilman decided to call on the Island Administrator, Municipal Officer, and dog catchers in the island for a Committee hearing.

This is to find whether it is correct to implement the ordinance regarding stray dogs in Boracay since if a dog catcher does what was in the allegation, there will be injustice. According to the Councilman, this should be set straight.

Schedule of Masses for All Soul’s and All Saints’ Day, announced by the Holy Rosary Parish

A week before the celebration of the All Souls’ and All Saints’day, the Catholic Church in Boracay had already made a schedule of masses.

The Holy Rosary Parish in Baranggay Balabag has announced that there will be three masses scheduled on November 01.

The first mass which will be held at the Lady of the Holy Rosary Church at Balabag at 6:30 am will be a celebration for the All Saints’day.

The two remaining masses intended for the day of the souls is to be held at the two cemeteries in Boracay.

As a commemoration for the departed loved ones, benediction or blessing of the graves will also be done.

The mass at the Manoc-manoc cemetery will be at 8:00 in the morning, while that of the Sinagpa cemetery will be at 3:00 in the afternoon.

SECURITY fOR tHE DOCKING oF tHE ROYAL CARRIBEAN LEGEND oF tHE SEAS iN BORACAY ISLAND - READY!

The cleaning at the front beach was started with the combined efforts of the Local Government of Malay and Boracay Police yesterday.

This was learned from P/S Ins. Jeoffel Cabural, the Chief of Boracay Tourist Assistance Center (BTAC) in an interview.

The LGU, headed by Island Administrator, Glenn Sacapano, and Cabural for BTAC, have been busy implementing the Ordinance of Boracay prohibiting scattered items for sale at the seashore especially preventing commissioners from offering sea sporting activities.

This is in preparation for the arrival of the Royal Carribean Legend of the Seas cruise ship on Saturday, the 27^th of October.

According to Cabural, preparations have been made for a month and that a successful operation is expected for the safety and security of everyone.

He added that almost all the friendly forces of the government like the Police, Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and even organizations of the Local Government of Malay, Non-government Organizations of Boracay, and different groups giving service to tourists have joined in the preparations.

Changes will also be made on the route of vehicles in the island and the hotels where the more than 2thousand 5hundred tourists will be going will have tight security.

Maintaining a Drug-Free workplace in Boracay, stakeholders' responsibility

The stakeholders, particularly those who are handling businesses in Boracay, are responsible for keeping their establishments a drug-free workplace.

This is what Gen. Pedrito Magsino of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office-Nataional Capital Region (PDEA RO-NCR) had explained during a two-day Information and Education Campaign on Drug Awareness and Prevention which was held last October 19 to 20, 2012 in the island of Boracay.

The official said that Sec. 48 of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002 states the promotion of a drug free workplace through the implementation of the Drug Abuse Prevention Program by companies which has 10 or more employees.

This is a joint effort of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Dangerous Drugs Board.

Magsino said that establishments must have a signage which states “This is a drug-free workplace. Let’s keep it this way.”

There must be a random drug testing among employees, he added.

Drug addiction he said has a number of negative results to a certain workplace such as tardiness and absences, poor performance and productivity, and the possibility of crimes.

The PDEA officer also said that it is in the Government’s policy that this should also be implemented in private businesses.

Moreover, Magsino stressed out that this must be implemented in Boracay for the preservation of the island from illegal drugs, while he calls out to the public for cooperation to maintain a drug-free Boracay.

NIGHT SWIMMING nOT PROHIBITED iN BORACAY

Night swimming is not prohibited at the seas of Boracay.

Life Guard Supervisor Miguel “Mike” Labatiao said this in an interview on Friday, October 19.

However when the waves are high and when swimming is dangerous for the public, swimmers are being warned by the Police, Municipal Auxiliary Police (MAP), especially by resort staff  who are on duty at night.

Those who would like to swim at night even after being warned could be considered as swimming at their own risk.

Nevertheless, although there are few incidents of drowning at night, the possibility of drowning is not being underestimated. 

A signage of “No Swimming” is apparently going to be made and posted along the beach during bad weather to warn tourists of the danger.

Labatiao added that since the number of Life Guards will be increased, the Local Government of Malay is studying the possibility of making the duty of Life Savers to be 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

PDEA: “Rugby” and solvents, should not be easily bought

Nowadays, products like “rugby” and other solvents would not be simply purchased.

According to Gen Pedrito Magsino of the Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office- National Capital Region (PDEA RO-NCR, the mentioned products are included in the lists of chemicals that they are restricting, since these are some of the cheapest and most abused substance, which can also cause addiction to those who are using it frequently.

Magsino said, under the National Law, the labels of “rugby” and other like chemicals must maintain that it contains mustard oil of not less than 5%.

Mustard oil is the substance which gives such product an undesirable odor to repel the urge of inhaling its smell.

If this 5% mustard oil content does not appear on the label, the product would be considered as an illegal substance.

Any individual who wishes to purchase the said product would also require a permit from the Baranggay.

Moreover, “rugby” is now prohibited to be sold to minors. 

Magsino also warned that those who will be caught breaching the ordinance will have their Business Permits revoked.

This move is associated to PDEA and Boracay Foundation Incorporated’s campaign against illegal drugs and or substances, and to maintain a drug free Boracay.