Alunan: Some Boracay business owners reluctant on island’s soft opening
Some business owners in Boracay have been reluctant to promote their businesses for the soft opening of the resort island on Oct. 26 as the island’s rehabilitation is not yet finished, former Tourism Secretary Rafael Alunan said on Thursday.
“Marami akong mga kaibigan doon, and some of them ‘yung maliliit na hotel owners ‘no. Sabi nila, ayaw pa nilang i-promote ‘yung kanilang mga businesses kasi hindi pa tapos yung rehabilitation ng Boracay. Kulang pa,” Alunan said over an interview at Radyo INQUIRER.
(I have many friends there and some of them who are small hotel owners, told me that they do not want to promote their businesses as the rehabilitation of Boracay is not yet finished)
Alunan, who seeks a Senate seat in the 2019 elections, said that business owners opted to postpone the promotion of their businesses until next year to wait for the rehabilitation to finish because their customers might be “turned off” by the “unfinished products.”
Alunan served as tourism secretary from January 9, 1991 to February 16, 1992 in the Cabinet of then President Corazon Aquino.
“Imbis na mag-promote sila ngayon kasi may soft opening na, sabi nila, “we will postpone until next year” dahil ayaw nila na makita ng kanilang mga customers ‘yung unfinished products. Baka ma-turn-off daw sila,” he said.
Article continues after this advertisement(Instead of promoting for the soft opening, they said they will be postponing until next year. They do not want their customers to see the unfinished products. They might get turned-off)
Article continues after this advertisementAlunan pointed out that the infrastructure in Boracay, particularly the rehabilitation of the main road, is the problem because it is not yet finished.
“Pero ganito lang, ‘yung Boracay talagang napakalinis na, napakaganda, yung main road lang yung problema, ‘yung infrastructure,” the former Tourism secretary said.
“Ang pinakamalaking pagkukulang ay ‘yung main road. Hindi pa tapos at pangit kung makita ng mga turista. Mahihirapan sila,” he said.
(Boracay is now clean, it is now beautiful. The only problem is the main road, the infrastructure. The road is still not finished). /muf
