The BFP Region 6 staff held an unofficial trip and “party” in Boracay last week, which spoiled the opening of the island on June 16.
The staff of Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Region 6, including an employee whose pending COVID-19 test later returned positive, hosted a “despedida party” in Boracay last week.
“They had a party pero walang certificate to operate ang hotel [the hotel has no certificate to operate],” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat told GMA News’ JP Soriano.
Aklan acting mayor Frolibar Bautista earlier said the COVID-positive employee, together with other BFP staff, attended a conference in Boracay from June 12 to 14.
The said incident spoiled the tourist destination’s supposed reopening on June 16.
Bautista said the initial investigation revealed the female patient was quarantined in Iloilo with a pending COVID-19 test.
“[L]umabas na naka-quarantine pala siya sa Iloilo City pero ang report ay galing daw ng Cebu then nag-quarantine doon tapos umuwi sa Iloilo,” Bautista said.
(She was quarantined in Iloilo City, but the report said she came from Cebu where she was also quarantined before she went to Iloilo.)
“Pina-rapid test daw at negative so pina-swab test pa kaya naka-quarantine pa siya. Hindi pa lumabas ‘yong resulta pero umalis sa Iloilo at pumunta sa Boracay,” he added.
(She underwent rapid test and tested negative, so she took a swab test, that’s why she is still under quarantine. Her results were not released yet, but she already left Iloilo and went to Boracay.)
Also read: Boracay reopening to Western Visayas tourists on June 16
BFP employees, including COVID-positive staff held party in Boracay
According to Puyat, the Department of Tourism already started the accreditation revocation procedures on the resort that accommodated the BFP employees because it did not have a certificate of authority to operate at the time.
Puyat added the BFP staff, all hotel employees, and those who came in close contact with the employee were already isolated.
The DOT Secretary said she was annoyed by the incident because tourists from Western Visayas were excited about Boracay’s reopening on June 16.
“Nakakainis kasi bawal kasi tapos nalaman na lang nila noong nandoon na may COVID-positive pala,” Puyat added.
(I am annoyed because it is still prohibited to hold activities, and then they just found out there that one is COVID-positive.)
Malay LGU also condemned the incident, saying it was “irresponsible and [in] blatant disregard of quarantine protocols.”
Bautista said they would file a case against those “irresponsible personnel” who violated quarantine protocols in Boracay.