Source: Philippine Information Agency
ILOILO CITY, June 26 (PIA) -– President Benigno S. Aquino III admired Boracay Island as a first-time visitor to the world-famous resort island off Caticlan in Malay, Aklan.
But more than this personal admiration of the “paradise island”, President Aquino recognized Boracay as a major contributor to the country’s tourism industry.
In his speech at the inauguration of the newly renovated Caticlan Airport yesterday, the President said that Boracay has been making a substantial contribution to the tourism sector along with other destinations in the country.
Last year alone, tourist arrivals in the island reached some 700,000 and brought some P11.1 billion revenues to the island’s resort owners and other industry stakeholders.
“Malaki ang ambag ng mga local na destinasyong tulad ng Boracay sa turismon ng bansa (Local tourist destinations like Boracay greatly contributes to tourism industry),” said the President.
Also, the impact of Boracay and other tourism assets to the country’s economy was also admired by the President.
“At gaya nga po ng palaging paalala ng mga ekonomista, ang mayabong na turismo ay susi sa mas maunlad na ekonomiya (Economists say that a robust tourism industry is key to a progressive economy),” acknowledged the President.
The present renovation of the Caticlan Airport is only the beginning of a bigger development project for the airport being put in place by TransAire Development Holdings Corp. through public-private partnership on a build-operate-transfer scheme.
TransAire, an affiliate of San Miguel Corp., renovated the airport by installing state-of-the-art facilities at the terminal and including night navigation facilities for night-time flights. It will operate the airport over the next 25 years under the PPP scheme based on an agreement with the government.
With the President at the airport inauguration were Transportation and Communications Secretary Mar Roxas, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, San Miguel Corp. president Ramon Ang, Aklan Gov. Carlito Marquez, Malay mayor John Yap, and other government and SMC officials.
The President confided in his speech that he had known of Boracay only through pictures when his mother, former President Cory Aquino visited the island 24 years ago.
With his visit last Saturday, he said: “Sa wakas, natanaw ko na po ng personal ang isla ng Boracay.” He said he was eager to see the island.
However, he said, half in jest, that he had to put off spending a vacation on the island till 2016 (when his term ends). The Chief Executive had to return to Manila after the event to attend to the needs of people affected by the typhoon and flooding in Metro Manila. (JCM/JSC/PIA6)
