ILOILO City – Beginning April 26, tourists will not be allowed to enter Boracay Island.
Residents, workers and resort owners will be allowed to enter the island but they must present identification cards (IDs) indicating their specific addresses in any of the three villages in Boracay – Manoc-Manoc, Balabag or Yapak.
The only entry and exit point to the island is the Cagban jetty port.
To prevent the entry of unauthorized persons and materials, other access points will be closed, said Senior Superintendent Jesus Cambay, commander of the 610-strong Metro Boracay Task Force that will secure the island while it is undergoing rehabilitation for six months.
All government IDs will be recognized. Those with nongovernment-issued IDs would be required to present a barangay certification of residency.
Swimming anywhere in the island will be prohibited. However, residents may be allowed to swim only at Angol Beach in Station 3 of the White Beach from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Journalists will only be permitted to enter Boracay if they have the approval of the Department of Tourism. Their presence will also have a definite duration and their movements limited, according to the state-owned Philippine News Agency.
The Bureau of Immigration, on the other hand, will revalidate foreigners residing in the island.
Visitors of Boracay residents may be permitted to enter the island during emergency situations. However, they must secure clearance from the security committee composed of representatives from the Department of Interior and Local Government, Philippine National Police and the local government of Malay, Aklan which has jurisdiction over Boracay.
With the impending closure of the island less than two weeks to go, in Barangay Manoc-Manoc more people troop to secure barangay IDs, according to village chief Chona Gabay.
The screening for the issuance of IDs is being tightened but the natives are being prioritized, said Gabay.
New applicants have to pay P200 while those seeking ID renewal are charged P100, she added.
Also, new applicants are required to show their birth certificate, government and schools IDs, barangay certificate ,and certificate of employment for workers.
The barangay council of Manoc-Manoc has been issuing barangay IDs (valid for three years starting on the date of issuance) since 2010, said Gabay.
With over 15,000 residents, Manoc-Manoc has the biggest number of population among the three villages of Boracay.
The following access points to the island would be sealed: Sitio Caliruhan, Sitio Malabunot, Sitio Tambisaan, Sitio Sugod, Sitio Tulubhan, mangrove area, beachfront, Sitio Bulabog, Sitio Diniwid, West Cove, New Coast Cove, Puka Beach, and Bil-at Beach.
Cambay said police personnel have been assigned to secure these areas, as well as entry points to the mainland Malau, including the airport in Caticlan, the Caticlan jetty port, Sambiray Cargo, and Tabon Port.
Local Government assistant secretary Epimaco Densing III said the full details of the guideline will be released early next week.
Chief Superintendent Cesar Hawthorne Binag said key points of the guideline were revealed during the Regional Peace and Order Council meeting on Wednesday. (With a report from the Philippine News Agency/PN)
