Pre-judging for MTO’s Beautification of Barangay Contest, conducted

The Municipal Tourism Office of Malay had conducted the pre-judging for their program: Beautification of Barangay: Caticlan, Manoc-manoc, Balabag and Yapak Contest

Held on Wednesday, December 12, 2012, the program is one of the MTO’s ways of maintaining the established name of Boracay in tourism, as well as the promotion of the mainland as a tourist attraction.

This is by instilling to the community the significance of their awareness and cooperation through the beautification contest.

The panel of judges who later where invited for a deliberation included Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator, Alma S. Belejerdo, Department of Tourism Malay-Director Tim Ticar, BFI Executive Director, Ms. Pi Miraflores and a representative in behalf of Yes Fm and Easy Rock Boracay Station Manager Mr. Alan Palma.

Lead by Municipal Tourism Officer Felix Delos Santos Jr. the pre-judging started off at Barangay Caticlan, where some of the MTO staff and Barangay leaders accompanied the judges.

The judging of barangays in the island of Boracay followed thereafter.

Courtesy calls to all Barangay captains were also made before each inspection was started.

Also present during the deliberation were Brgy, Captains Hon. Julieta Aron of Caticlan, Hon. Hector Casidsid of Yapak, Balabag Brgy. Secretary Jinky Salazar in behalf of Hon. Lilibeth Sacapano while Brgy. Manoc-manoc also sent a representative in behalf of Brgy. Captain Abram Sualog.

PLENTY oF QUESTIONS RAISED oN RATE HIKE oN WATER & WASTE WATER MANAGEMENT

The proposed rate increase for water and waste management services of the BIWCI was peppered with questions by the attendees during the public hearing held by the Tourism Infrastructure Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA).

The attendees of the public hearing disagreed with the rate increase of Boracay Island Water Company Incorporated (BIWCI), while Town Council Member Rowen Aguirre questioned why there were only few who attended and wondered if the few number of attendees had an effect on the decision of TIEZA.

In response, Atty. Marites Alvarez said if there were only few attendees, TIEZA did not fall short in inviting to attend and informing the public of the planned rate increase amount.

The lawyer added that the public hearing could be considered legal since quorum was not needed.

Meanwhile, town Council Member Esel Flores pointed out that he believed the BIWCI business did not run at a loss in the past year despite the developments made by the company, because of this, he wondered why BIWCI has to make a rate increase.

Aside from the mentioned Council Members of Malay, all the attendees of the public hearing disagreed to the planned 35.4% rate increase. Especially that aside from asking questions on the rate increase, there were also some complaints expressed related to the operation of the BIWCI.

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.