Duterte wants to visit Boracay to boost local tourism
Published Mar 10, 2020 12:00 am
By Genalyn Kabiling
Will President Duterte visit Boracay to spur domestic tourism or not?
The President said he might be persuaded to visit the local beach destination if Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat will accompany him.
President Rodrigo Duterte
(ALFRED FRIAS/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) Duterte, speaking to reporters after a meeting with government officials on efforts to combat the coronavirus spread, said in jest he wanted Puyat to go swimming with him on Boracay island. "Yes, kasi wala ng tao. Ito kasing si Berna eh. Wala na magpunta. Sabi ko, "Sige, magpunta ako pero maligo tayo." Totoo. Hindi kita gi --- hindi kita bastos ha. This is not --- anong tawag niyan? Feminist ano (Yes because there are no people. Berna said only a few are visiting the place. I said, 'Okay, I'll go but we should go swimming')," Duterte said Monday night when asked if he will visit Boracay, eliciting laughter from some officials present. Duterte quickly made clear that his latest statement was not meant to offend Puyat. "Hindi kita bastos ha. This is not --- anong tawag niyan? Feminist ano (I'm not being rude to you. This is not a feminist thing)," he said. Duterte admitted that he has not been to Boracay beach and would want the tourism secretary to accompany him during his stay. "Sabi ko, 'Sige, maligo tayo.' Sabi ko, 'Alam mo na, ‘yung ligo tayo na (I said, 'let's take a swim so) I also have something to look at." If you look at at the open sea, it's endless. Mabubulag ka (You'll be blinded) but Berna would sit beside me on a sunset, I will stay," he said. "Totoo, hindi pa ako nakapunta ng Boracay (It's true. I've never been to Boracay)," he added. Puyat earlier announced that the President may visit Boracay on March 12 to help promote domestic tourism despite the coronavirus outbreak. It is supposed to be the President's first time to visit the place since its six-month closure for rehabilitation in 2018. Duterte earlier encouraged Filipinos to "travel with me" around the country after travel restrictions were imposed in some places abroad due to the coronavirus spread. He assured the public that "everything is safe in our country" in terms of health, law and order and accessibility. Airline and hotel accommodations have lowered their rates to encourage more Filipinos to visit local destinations, according to the President. Before his comments about taking Puyat to the beach, the President said he has placed a portion of Boracay under agrarian reform program to give back the area to the natives. "I gave it to the natives. Then further inside the island, pina...Sabi ko, 'Ubusin mo. Ubusin mo ang bara --- Boracay sa mga natives. Ibigay mo sa kanila kasi lupa nila 'yan' (I told them give it all. Boracay belongs to the natives. Give it to them because they own the land)," he said. He recalled saying he would only visit Boracay to declare the area as part of the land reform program. "Noong una pag-umpisa ko, karaming daldal ninyo. Hindi ako magpunta doon. Sa likod ako pumunta, sa bukid, sa land reform area (When I started, you had many comments. I won't go there. I will visit the back area, the fields, the land reform area)," he said. The President previously distributed agricultural lands to the indigenous people and other farmers of Aklan following the reopening of the Boracay in October 2018. The popular tourist island was shut down for six months in 2018 to pave the way for massive rehabilitation amid pollution woes. The temporary closure was ordered by the President who claimed the island has become a cesspool.
President Rodrigo Duterte(ALFRED FRIAS/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) Duterte, speaking to reporters after a meeting with government officials on efforts to combat the coronavirus spread, said in jest he wanted Puyat to go swimming with him on Boracay island. "Yes, kasi wala ng tao. Ito kasing si Berna eh. Wala na magpunta. Sabi ko, "Sige, magpunta ako pero maligo tayo." Totoo. Hindi kita gi --- hindi kita bastos ha. This is not --- anong tawag niyan? Feminist ano (Yes because there are no people. Berna said only a few are visiting the place. I said, 'Okay, I'll go but we should go swimming')," Duterte said Monday night when asked if he will visit Boracay, eliciting laughter from some officials present. Duterte quickly made clear that his latest statement was not meant to offend Puyat. "Hindi kita bastos ha. This is not --- anong tawag niyan? Feminist ano (I'm not being rude to you. This is not a feminist thing)," he said. Duterte admitted that he has not been to Boracay beach and would want the tourism secretary to accompany him during his stay. "Sabi ko, 'Sige, maligo tayo.' Sabi ko, 'Alam mo na, ‘yung ligo tayo na (I said, 'let's take a swim so) I also have something to look at." If you look at at the open sea, it's endless. Mabubulag ka (You'll be blinded) but Berna would sit beside me on a sunset, I will stay," he said. "Totoo, hindi pa ako nakapunta ng Boracay (It's true. I've never been to Boracay)," he added. Puyat earlier announced that the President may visit Boracay on March 12 to help promote domestic tourism despite the coronavirus outbreak. It is supposed to be the President's first time to visit the place since its six-month closure for rehabilitation in 2018. Duterte earlier encouraged Filipinos to "travel with me" around the country after travel restrictions were imposed in some places abroad due to the coronavirus spread. He assured the public that "everything is safe in our country" in terms of health, law and order and accessibility. Airline and hotel accommodations have lowered their rates to encourage more Filipinos to visit local destinations, according to the President. Before his comments about taking Puyat to the beach, the President said he has placed a portion of Boracay under agrarian reform program to give back the area to the natives. "I gave it to the natives. Then further inside the island, pina...Sabi ko, 'Ubusin mo. Ubusin mo ang bara --- Boracay sa mga natives. Ibigay mo sa kanila kasi lupa nila 'yan' (I told them give it all. Boracay belongs to the natives. Give it to them because they own the land)," he said. He recalled saying he would only visit Boracay to declare the area as part of the land reform program. "Noong una pag-umpisa ko, karaming daldal ninyo. Hindi ako magpunta doon. Sa likod ako pumunta, sa bukid, sa land reform area (When I started, you had many comments. I won't go there. I will visit the back area, the fields, the land reform area)," he said. The President previously distributed agricultural lands to the indigenous people and other farmers of Aklan following the reopening of the Boracay in October 2018. The popular tourist island was shut down for six months in 2018 to pave the way for massive rehabilitation amid pollution woes. The temporary closure was ordered by the President who claimed the island has become a cesspool.