Manifesto listing seen as cause of long wait in Boracay ports

[flexiblemap title=”Boracay Island” address=”Boracay, Malay, Aklan” region=”Western Visayas, Philippines” directions=”true” width=”100%” height=”250px” zoom=”12″]

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The mandatory manifesto listing for boat passengers in Boracay was seen as the primary cause of long queues in the island.

Prompted by the problem, the Boracay Redevelopment Task Force has ordered the management of Aklan Jetty Port, the Philippine Coast Guard-Caticlan and the Caticlan-Boracay Transport Multi-Purpose Cooperative to address the problem caused by the implementation of the mandatory manifesto listing for boat passengers.

Task force head Glenn Sacapano said the mandatory manifesto listing has caused long queues and delayed transfer of passengers from both Caticlan Jetty Port and Cagban Jetty Port in Boracay since it was implemented last week.

The mandatory manifesto listing was implemented by newly-assigned PCG-Caticlan chief Lieutenant Edison Diaz, former chief of PCG-Iloilo.

Diaz said the signing of passenger’s manifesto is a law required for all ports in the country but was neglected in Boracay for so long.

“It must be required for the safety of the tourists and locals as well,” Diaz stressed.

2015_0401_sirumabeach
NO, this is not Boracay, but the virgin, prestine white sand beach, one among the many in the remote town of Siruma of Camarines Sur.

But Sacapano opposes the idea as the rule may hurt the tourism industry of the island. “We are promoting our island as a first class tourist destination. Our tourists must not endure the long lines and the delay in boat transfers,” he said.

Sacapano voice his observation that boat travel to and from Boracay only takes 15 to 20 minutes but because of the rule, it takes two hours due to long queues.

On his part Jetty Port Manager Niven Maquirang said they will again meet with the PCG-Caticlan and the boat operators in Boracay to establish a system to ensure the smooth implementation of the rule.

“We assure this will be solved before the peak season of Boracay starts,” he said even as the port management is also eyeing to create separate boat lanes for tourists and locals as solution to the problem.

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