ILOILO CITY — Detained opposition Senator Leila de Lima has joined calls of various sectors in Aklan against the creation of a government-owned and -controlled corporation (GOCC) that will manage Boracay Island. In a statement posted on her Facebook page, De Lima decried the creation of a Boracay Island Development Authority (Bida) that would administer the island. ADVERTISEMENT“The proposed Bida is the latest attempt by the administration to take from Aklanons what is rightfully theirs,” De Lima said. “The proposal, as it stands, gives the Bida the authority to operate and license tourism-related activities, which constitute the bulk of the come of Aklan from Boracay Island,” De Lima said. Boracay Island is among the top tourism revenue earners of the country generating P58.18 billion in 2019 before the island was shut down to tourists due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: The Local August 29, 2021 07:36 UTC