Apec execs vow to leave Boracay still clean, green

BORACAY ISLAND, Aklan—The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meetings being held for the first time on this paradise island this week will not be anything like “Laboracay,” the labor weekend event that left behind tons of trash on May 1.

Instead, the Apec event promises to be as clean and green as possible.

Around 1,500 delegates from the 21 countries on the Pacific rim are here for the second round of the Apec Senior Of--

ficials’ Meeting (Apec Som2).

Casually dressed, the officials have begun to tackle regional economic issues against a background of powdery white sand beach and turquoise sea, the export product that has made Boracay one of the world’s top tourist destinations.

Assistant Secretary Charles Jose, spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and also for the Apec, on Monday said organizers were promoting “responsible tourism” for the entire duration of Apec Som2 and related meetings, which began on May 10 and would culminate in the meeting proper on May 20 and 21.

It will be followed by the trade ministers’ meeting on May 23 and 24.

Cleanup drive

To show concern for the environment following Laboracay, an event that drew more than 80,000 tourists to Boracay in just three days, the Apec organizers led a cleanup along the shorelines of the island on May 14.

Jose said this was followed by a cleanup on May 15 led by the local government and followed by another on May 18.

“This forms part of our overall effort to reduce our carbon footprint,” Jose told reporters.

He said that since the start of the Philippines’ hosting of the Apec meetings at the end of last year, the organizers had been promoting “paperless communication” and the use of social media and e-mail in the dissemination of information.

Jose noted the rise in the number of tourists in Boracay beginning the first week of May, partly because of Laboracay and the Apec meetings.

“Boracay had 163,000 tourist arrivals reported in the month of May last year. For the first week of May, we had 94,000 tourist arrivals so if the trend continues we will be exceeding the number of tourists last year,” Jose said.

This is the first time Boracay will serve as a venue for Apec meetings. The Apec meetings in 1996 were held in Manila, Cebu and Davao.

“We selected Boracay as one of the venues of the Apec meetings precisely because we wanted to promote tourism in Boracay as well as other major cities in the country,” Jose said.

Known for its 4-kilometer white sand beach, Boracay remains the best beach destination in Asia, according to international travel site TripAdviser in its 2015 Travelers’ Choice Awards. The island ranks seventh among the world’s top beach destinations.

No wonder, the Apec delegates are excited to be on the island.

“The delegates, especially those who haven’t been here, were excited to be able to visit Boracay. This is a good chance for the delegates to come and see Boracay for themselves,” Jose said.

Mabel Bacani, executive assistant to Malay Mayor John Yap and secretariat head of Boracay Redevelopment Task Force, a local government-led organization tapped to preserve, and develop areas on the island said some delegates found the waters tempting.

She said the organizers gave away suntan lotion to the delegates as a welcome gift. “One delegate (during the photo op) took away her blazer saying in jest that she should start using the lotion,” Bacani said in an interview.

Jose reiterated the recent statement issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) that the Boracay waters are safe for swimming amid allegations of algae and coliform contamination.

The DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau said the water samples from Boracay for the first quarter showed coliform levels safe for swimming and other activities.

Bacani denied allegations that Laboracay visitors had left tons of garbage.

“When you party, there is always trash. But there is a cleanup immediately after. If you’ve seen the whole event, those people who partied hard knew how to clean hard,” Bacani said.