MORE ROOMS IN PARADISE: DOT accredits 243 Boracay establishments

The number of Boracay accommodations that secured Department of Tourism (DOT) accreditation had reached 243 as of Monday.

With the holiday season approaching, this meant that 9,248 rooms were available for tourists in the famous resort island. The list of the accredited establishments are posted in the DOT’s official Facebook page.

The DOT also reminded the public that reservations should only be made with hotels and resorts that had complied with the requirements of the DOT, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The world-renowned tourist destination reopened for tourists last October after its six-month rehabilitation effort.

DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said they would limit Boracay’s tourist arrivals to 6,405 per day – a volume that was within the island’s carrying capacity.

A study commissioned by the DENR found that Boracay Island can accommodate only a total of 54,945 people at a time.

The study computed for the total number of tourists and non-tourists on the island, considering the island’s land area, limiting factors such as environmental considerations, as well as hours spent for activities.

If the “real carrying capacity” recommendation is to be followed, the DENR said there should only be 19,215 tourists and 35,730 residents on the island-resort.

The study said the main problem are the residents on the island, not the tourists. The study showed that the number of non-tourists (locals, migrant workers, and stay-in workers) exceeded the capacity by 16,796. There were a total of 52,526 people inhabiting the island prior to the closure in April 2018.

The overpopulation also means that a third of the island’s population will have to be relocated to the mainland in a relocation site that has yet to be identified.

SOURCE: The Daily Guardian

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