This Week in Boracay (September 28 to October 4, 2019)

There will be plenty of sun throughout the week. It's a little respite from the gloomy weather on the island in the past days [1]. However, you should still bring your umbrella due to a possible shower and thunderstorm in the morning. The weather will also remain humid at a maximum of 30°C. Since the sun is back, the sunny weather also signals a good time to be at the beach and for some water sports activities. One activity you can try is parasailing if you're not afraid of heights.

There is no backing down on the plan to build a 1.2-kilometer bridge to Boracay for conglomerate San Miguel Corporation [2]. The proposal of the company to construct a PhP5.5-billion bridge was recently opposed by the governor of Aklan. Despite this, the company said they will still pursue their plan which is currently under review by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Due to the increasing fuel prices and high maintenance costs, boat prices will be increased starting this October according to the Caticlan Boracay Transport Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CBTMPC) [3]. From PhP25 per trip before, it will now be PhP30 during the daytime. For trips from 6 PM to 10 PM, the new rate will be PhP40. If the trip is beyond 10 PM, however, the price goes up to PhP50. Simultaneously, if you want to charter a boat, it will cost PhP1,000 for the first 10 passengers. For night trips, the cost will be PhP2,000 from 6 PM to 10PM and PhP2,500 beyond 10 PM. Due to the habagat or southwest monsoon, boat trips will still be from Tabon Port in Caticlan and will dock at Tambisaan Port in Boracay. But if you're taking the big ferries to Boracay like the Oyster Ferry, they are still departing from Caticlan Port. Their fare rate remains at PhP40 during daytime.

The number of compliant establishments on the island is now at 374 [4]. These 374 compliant establishments comprise 13,554 rooms in total. According to the Department of Tourism (DOT), almost 95% of the establishments in Boracay are already given accreditation. To note, only those with certification from the DOT are allowed to operate. Presenting of booking reference or any proof of where you will stay in Boracay is also maintained.

Due to the limitations set by the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF), an international open beach volleyball event in Boracay was canceled [5]. The activity dubbed as Boracay Beach Volleyball Open (BBVO) was supposed to be held on November 15 to 17. The annual event gathers players from all over the world. Earlier this year, the task force also canceled the annual dragon boat activity in Boracay.

Traveling to Boracay soon? Check out Yoorekka for the island’s latest travel updates!