‘Laboracay’ turns into ‘Love Boracay’

AKLAN, Philippines – The Boracay Inter-Agency Rehabilitation Management Group (BIARMG) announced it will support a weeklong initiative to celebrate rehabilitation efforts in the world-famous tourist spot.

The weeklong celebration from April 26 to May 1 is dubbed “Love Boracay: Celebrate, Rehabilitate.”

April 26 marks the first anniversary of Boracay’s 6-month closure as ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2018. 

It is also around this time when thousands of tourists flock to Boracay for parties that used to be called Laboracay, to celebrate the Labor Day holiday on May 1. Laboracay is however remembered not only for the nonstop beach parties, but also the amount of garbage left by partygoers.

This time around, Love Boracay aims to celebrate a rehabilitated island.

Symbolic events like a forum, retro music at night, and parasailing will kick-start the weeklong celebration, according to BIARMG general manager Natividad Bernandino. (READ: Boracay: Paradise reborn?)

The low-key event this April is an environmental campaign to create a sense of consciousness and participation for stakeholders, residents, and tourists, and to inspire them to support government’s efforts for responsible and sustainable tourism.

“Love Boracay” will also help the stakeholders to engage and to better understand the importance of the environment in Boracay’s tourism industry.

In 2018, the government’s interagency task force composed of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Tourism (DOT), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) decided to cancel all Laboracay nonstop beach parties till the wee hours of the week before May 1, a Labor Day holiday, amid the rehabilitation of Boracay Island.

Smoking and drinking in public places in rehabilitated Boracay were also prohibited. (READ: What to expect when Boracay reopens on October 26)

The popular resort island was closed to tourists on April 26, 2018, to address environmental degradation over the years. The task force also decided to put a cap on the number of visitors when the island reopened on October 26, 2018.

New rules by national authorities came in effect that require visitors prior to their stay in Boracay to book their accommodations. – Rappler.com