Penalty for late Business Permit renewals starts Monday

March 1st was the deadline for Business Permit renewals in Malay and Boracay.

This is after the second extension that the Municipal Council of Malay has granted.

For this reason, come Monday, 4^th of March 2013, a penalty will be imposed to those who haven’t had their dues assessed by the Licensing Office yet.

This is according to Licensing Officer Jean Salsona who noted that they only have furnished about 1,800 new business permits compared to last year’s 4000.

This simply shows that a large number remains on the process of completing their requirements.

Based on the Licensing Officer’s knowledge, many of them have already been assessed, yet still have to submit some documents that the local government has required of them.

Salsona added that of the 4,000 business permits they have released in 2012, 287 were for the resorts in Boracay.

The remaining three thousand plus is composed of public transportations such as tricycles, motorboats and the likes, as well as the other establishments in the island like restaurants, variety stores, spas and others.

REQUEST fOR a PLACE fOR ASSISTANCE CENTER aT tHE BEACH FRONT, NO RESULT YET

It will be better if there is a Coastguard Assistance Center at Boracay’s boat stations 1 and 3 according to PO2 Condrito Alvarez of the Coast Guard Boracay detachment.

In an interview with Alvarez on Tuesday, February 26, he explained the benefits of having assistance centers at the mentioned boat stations.

He said that aside from monitoring the activities at the beachfront, the implementation of manifesto for island hopping activities will be safeguarded.

Alvarez added that when assistance is needed, tourists will have someone to approach, especially if there is a maritime incident.

During the interview, it was learned that the plan to put Coastguard assistance centers at Stations 1 and 3 was presented by their former Coast Guard Commander, Lt. Cmdr. Terence Alsosa in a Boracay Action Group meeting on January of this year.

Nevertheless, the plan was not yet feasible as of press time since the plan that had been presented had had no result.

However, Alvarez added that the Coast Guard’s new Commander, Lt. Cmdr. Jimmy Oliver Vingno, will find a way to set up an assistance center at the two stations in the Month of March.

Re-shuffling of Police Officers in Aklan, isn’t done yet

The re-shuffling of Police Personnel in Aklan is not done yet.

This is what Aklan Police Provincial Director P/S Supt. Pedrito Escarilla clarified following a reshuffling of Police Chiefs conducted last January in pursuant for the May 2013 elections.

This is aside from those which haven’t been transferred yet, such as the Chiefs of Malay Police Station and of the Boracay Tourist Assistance Center, to which successive replacement has been an issue.

In his statement on Monday, Escarilla is unsure if the current BTAC Chief, in the person of S/Insp. Joeffer Cabural, will remain on his post.

This is because the reshuffling of officers is continuous, may it be election time or not, added the Provincial Director.

He however assured that they will not be removing any chief from their posts without valid reason.

FIRE PREVENTION MONTH tO BE OBSERVED iN BORACAY

The Fire Prevention Month will kick-start with a motorcade from the Boracay Island Special Fire Protection Unit (BISFPU) on the 1^st day of March this year.

The motorcade, which will start at 6:30 in the morning, will pass by the Cagban Jetty Port, the villages of Balabag, and Yapak, and will eventually go back to Manoc-Manoc Village.

Certificates will then be given away to agencies and organizations who participated in the celebration.

Presidential Proclamation No. 115-A signed in 1967 by the former president Ferdinand Marcos, declared the month of March as the Fire Prevention Month in the Philippines.

The month of March is the start of summer in the country and the month wherein fire often occurs.

BLTMPC’s petition for the cancellation of “Color Coding” of tricycles in Boracay, OK for the DOT

The Department of Tourism Okays the Boracay Land Transport Multi-purpose Cooperative or BLTMPC’s petition.

That is the cancellation of the color coding scheme of the tricycles in Boracay.

In fact, according to DOT Officer-in-Charge, Tim Ticar they are supportive of this idea as they are also considering the tricycle drivers to be one of the front liners in tourism.

But he bluntly said that, still there should be a keen study if there is really a shortage of tricycle units in the island.

This is because Ticar believes the number of units is enough. However some of them are on “stand-by” on tricycle lines waiting for tourists to hire them or have them for a rental.

This system, he said, greatly affects the local passengers as they appear to be left for granted.

Nonetheless, he added that if the cancellation of color coding will bring a good result, the DOT will support this.

In line with this Ticar advised the BLTMPC to implement what must be, in order for them to deliver the right services especially to the tourists.

REEF BUDS oF SANGKALIKASAN COOPERATIVE iN BORACAY, PLANNED tO BE INVESTIGATED

The state of the reef buds of Sangkalikasan Cooperative of Boracay is being planned to be investigated by the Town Council of Malay.

This was revealed by Town Council Member Dante Pagsugiron in relation to the alleged information that some of the artificial reefs at the 3 locations where the reefs where laid by Sangkalikasan were destroyed.

Because of the information, the Councilman wants to call the Malay Agriculture Office (MAO), which is believed to have seen the reefs, and has the access to the projects under the sea.

This is to see the true status of the project.

The project was previously proudly presented by Sangkalikasan to have a “secret formula” which could help in the increase and the growth of corals at sea which could be an added attraction to tourists.

However, there had been news that allegedly some of the reef buds got broken while some had turned upside down.

The project was donated by Sen. Loren Legarda to Boracay, costs P50M, and implemented by Sangkalikasan Cooperative.

Schedule for the vigil and interment of the slain Dexter Condez to push through, said Rev. Fr. Crisostomo

The interment for the slain Boracay Ati Spokesman Dexter Condez will be on Saturday.

This is what Reverend Father Arnold “Nonoy” Crisostomo, mediator of the Holy Rosary Parish Team Ministry has confirmed.

He also said that the vigil for Dexter will push through on Friday night.

In fact he added the Ati Mission has prepared a program on the day when he will be laid to rest.

During which Bishop Jose Corazon Talaoc, the Bishop of the Diocese of Kalibo himself will be attending, along with other Priests, Leaders of different Organizations in Aklan, and a number of guests from Manila.

Fr. Crisostomo explained how Dexter’s remains will not be transported by any vehicle but will be lifted and or carried from their ancestral grounds to the church.

Meanwhile the dedicated mass service will be held at 9 a.m.

The late Dexter Condez, who served as a spokesman of the Boracay Ati Tribal Organization was killed Friday last week.

WHO IS tO CONSTRUCT TOILET?

The responsibility of installing public toilet at Caticlan Jetty Port was pointed to the Local Government of Malay by the Provincial Government of Aklan.

This is the response given to the need of the public, especially vendors and drivers of public transportation at Caticlan Jetty Port.

While tourists and other passengers use the toilets inside the building, according to Jetty Port Administrator Nieven Maquirang, vendors and drivers, and other passengers do not have toilets to use outside the building.

Since the mentioned individuals allegedly also pay permit to the local government of Malay, for that reason the LGU of Malay should make the move to meet their needs.

The statement was given by the Jetty Port Administrator in an interview on February 21.

Maquirang’s statement followed the inquiry by the Town Council of Malay on the 15 percent share of the province from the Environmental Fee, and on where the allocation of the fund for the Jetty Port is being used.

According to the Councilmen of Malay, almost all the facilities and developments inside the Jetty Port were taken from the 15% share of Malay from the Environmental Fee.

BLTMPC’s Petition Letter, carries on, said GM Ryan Tubi

The Petition Letter of the Boracay Land Transport Multi-purpose Cooperative (BLTMPC) will carry on.

This is what BLTMPC General Manager Ryan Tubi has confirmed yesterday.

This is in relation to the signature campaign that the cooperative is raising to brought up to the Local Government of Malay the shortages of tricycle units in Boracay due to the color coding scheme.

Tubi said that they are just waiting until the said circulated letter will be returned to them.

The signatures accumulated will be the basis for the color coding to be canceled, he added.

The General Manager has previously said that the signature campaign will be an important factor for the LGU to take action on their concern.

CATHOLIC CHURCH oF BORACAY, DELIGHTED oN tHE POSSIBILITY oF tHE CASE oF a RECENT KILLING BE SOLVED

The possibility of the case of Dexter Condez being solved delighted the Catholic Church of Boracay.

In an interview by Yes FM 91.1 with Rev. Fr. Nonoy Crisostomo, the mediator of the Team Ministry of the Holy Rosary parish Boracay, he said that if there was already a clear suspect in the death of Dexter, the case would be resolved.

Nevertheless, he said that it is being hoped that the case will not stop at the suspect but also on who gave the directive to commit the crime.

Fr. Crisostomo added that he hoped that justice will be served in the killing of Dexter.

Dexter Condez was shot and killed by an unknown suspect while he was on his way home to Sitio Lugutan, Manoc-Manoc, Boracay on Friday night, February 22.

Condez was the spokesman of Boracay Ati Tribal Organization (BATO) which is fighting for the domain of aetas in Boracay.

DOT pleased with Boracay’s welcome to MS Columbus 2

The Department of Tourism (DOT) was pleased of how Boracay welcomed the visit of MS Columbus 2 yesterday.

In an interview with DOT-Officer-in-Charge, Tim Ticar, he said that Boracay has a good reception for such a visit by the cruise line.

Aside from the preparations that the island did, it seemed he said that Boracay is already accustomed in handling the activity.

For instance Ticar observed the warm welcome and interactions of the different agencies assigned at the port.

Even the operation of the tender boats went smoothly.

Ticar also noted how the passengers of the cruise ship will in turn become the “promoters” or will “market” the island in their own countries.

Adding that these travelers particularly the Europeans will pass and tell how beautiful the Philippines is, how hospitable its people are, and how white Boracay sands are.

Meanwhile, aside from extending its gratitude to those who took part on the arrival of the ship, the DOT through Ticar also confirmed the arrival of another cruise liner which is MS Europa.