More resorts in Boracay applied for fireworks display permit—Bautista

BORACAY Island, Malay Aklan- Some 11 resorts have applied to the local government of Malay, expressing their interest in conducting a fireworks display on this resort island to celebrate the new year.

Malay mayor Floribar Bautista told December 26 in an interview that the fireworks display has become a major tourism attraction on this resort island every New Year’s revelry.

“I have received reports that hotels are already fully booked this year to celebrate the New Year.Last year, only eight hotels had applied for a permit to conduct a fireworks display,” he added.

It was gathered that each of the hotels is spending more than a million pesos to celebrate the new year here in Boracay. The firework display lasts for at least 20 minutes.

For several years, fireworks displays have been a major tourist attraction every new year. The revelry was, however, cancelled in 2018-2019 because of Boracay’s closure. Also in 2020–2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The community fireworks display was restored in Boracay in December 2022.

Hotels here conducting a fireworks display were asked to apply for permits due to the mandate of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for easy monitoring and ensuring environmental sustainability.

The DENR has mandated resorts conducting a fireworks display to adhere to protocols, such as that it must be done 100 meters off-shore using allowed pyrotechnics and clean the area after the event.

Felix Delos Santos, the municipal tourism chief, also said that tourists and residents must also be responsible for keeping the beach clean before and after the revelry.

Rachel Louise Grant de Longueuil, known to many as Rachel Grant, a Filipino-American James Bond film series star, told Rappler via Facebook that she is already excited to witness the fireworks display in Boracay. Grant said she is already booked in a hotel here from December 28, 2023, to January 2, 2024.

Grant’s last visit to Boracay was in 2017.

Grant is known as a James Bond girl in the 2002 movie “Die Another Day,” with British actor Pierce Brosnan and U.S. actress Halle Berry. She also appeared as Maria Ronson in the film “Until Death” with Belgian martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Meanwhile, Mayor Bautista said the local government targets 2.3 million tourist arrivals in 2024.

This after the Malay LGU reports, received a tourist target of two million tourists on December 19, 2023 this year.