AUSTRALIAN LIFE SAVER DAVID FIELÐ » « LEAVING BORACAY

After more than a year of service to Malay and Boracay teaching Life Saving, Surf Life Saving Development Officer, David Field will temporarily leave Boracay.

He will temporarily leave on the 19^th of December since he is being told by the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) to go back to the PNRC’s Head Office.

Nevertheless, according to Marlo Schoenenberger, the Administrator of the Red Cross Malay-Boracay Chapter, it is expected that Field will be coming back to raise the skill level of the Life Guards of the Local Government (LGU) in the island.

Field’s target is to raise the Level 3 training of the Life Guards into Level 5.

Regarding this, the Town Council of Malay has proposed to pass a resolution to express gratitude and to recognize the help rendered to Boracay by the professional Australian Life Saver.

Mentioned in particular by the Council is the raising of the skill level of the Life Savers of Boracay, including the Life Guards of the LGU, and establishments, also the Coast Guard, Red Cross Volunteers, and the youth from different schools in the island.

The Red Cross instructors taught by Field will be teaching when Field leaves.

Meanwhile, it was learned from Schoenenberger that while Field was in the Philippines, he had been going back and fort to Phuket, Thailand and Boracay Island to teach.

Schoenenberger added that Field was sent by the Australian Red Cross to the PNRC, which in turn sent Field to Boracay in the Month of October 2011.

TIEZA answers why water in Boracay is costly

Since Boracay is an island and is surrounded by water, therefore the water supply service is expensive.

This is one of the reasons that the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) have cited relating to the topic that, under the Boracay Island Water Company (BIWC), Boracay has the most expensive tariff in water service charges.

This is the response of Atty. Marites Alvares, Officer In-Charge of TIEZA Regulatory in Boracay.

This was one of the identified causes for the increased rates as the water source is quite distant and they have to dig to set their pipelines to Boracay from the mainland, particularly the Nabaoy River.

For this reason, she said, TIEZA and the BIWC needs to invest for the project in order to deliver quality service and clean water to Boracay, which is the center of tourism not only for Malay and Aklan but as well as the whole country.

Alvares added that Boracay is not even or just a plane area, and there are higher grounds where they need to put up a pumping station.

The explanation was stated by the Lawyer in front of the BIWC consumers during the Hearing yesterday.

This is in relation to the company’s planned increase in water service tariff which has reached up to 35.4%.

ANCHORING aT tHE SWIMMING AREA aT STATION 1 IS NOW PROHIBITED

The red flags seen at the beach line of Station 1 of Boracay do not mean swimming is prohibited.

What the red flag means is - the area from the shore to where the flags were posted is the swimming area. The move is to ensure that the swimming public is safe.

This is unlike what Boracay has been accustomed to that when red flags were raised, it meant swimming was prohibited.

Life guard Supervisor Miguel “Mike” Labatiao, explained that the red flags mean that boats or speed boats are prohibited to enter the area since the area is only for swimmers.

There had been incidents reported in the past wherein swimmers were hit by boat or had been disturbed when now and then anchor is set at the area.

The Lifeguard Supervisor explained that the raising of red flag when there is bad weather, to give warning to swimmers, is done at their post at Station 2.

Labatiao further added that there are also signages or signboards at critical areas or places where drowning usually occurs.

Security at Caticlan and Cagban Jetty Ports, to be tightened

The security at the Caticlan and Cagban jetty ports will become more rigid.

This is simultaneous with the holiday season setting in, where there will be an influx of tourists in the island.

In an interview with Jetty Port Chief Security, Alex Valero, he said they just recently added more guards for their daily and or 24 hour operations.

This is to ensure the security of the tourists, and their belongings, that are going in and out of the island.

Valero also noted the significance and the assistance given by the CCTV-cameras they have installed in and around the port areas.

This is because they have seized more ill-intentioned individuals, as many of them has been caught on camera, and the video rewinds helped in identifying people.

Currently, there are 76 security personnel deployed at Cagban and Caticlan jetty ports.

Aside from being the watch-outs, these guards are also the ones who are assisting the tourists particularly if the line in the passenger terminal is packed.

305 million, not enough for Malay’s 2013 budget

The 305 million peso fund for 2013 is short for the Local Government of Malay; therefore it was increased to 310 million.

This is after finding out in a budget hearing that the first proposed fund will not be enough as the LGU still needs to spend for the Environmental Programs and Municipal Economic Enterprise Development (MEED).

If recalled the mentioned departments had a huge contribution to the LGU’s collections, as some of its facilities under MEED has gained, particularly from the environmental fees in Cagban and Caticlan jetty ports.

This also followed after the council conducted a review before the approval and submission of the proposed funds and allocations of Malay for 2013 to the SB.

Therefore they studied this closely, in fact the Department heads themselves has personally been called for the budget hearing for them to explain and present their programs.

Last week, the municipal fund for 2013 has already been presented to the Municipal Council.

However they have found that the fund will not be enough and so the additional 5 million followed which will make the LGU’s fund for 2013, 310 million pesos.