Boracay’s tradition and tourism, sandcastle making, were revived on September 20 under the full implementation of Municipal Ordinance No.. 505 Series of 2022 guidelines.

The Municipal Ordinance was authored by Councilor Dante Pagsuguiron and discussed on August 24 by the Malay Tourism Office and Boracay Sandcastle Makers Association to ensure the proper establishment for both locals and tourists.

Prior to the new guidelines, the first enacted guidelines for sandcastle making, authored also by Pagsuguiron, was Municipal Ordinance No. 246 Series of 2007.

Much of the original was retained, while some guidelines were revamped to regulate the usage of Boracay’s white beach and avoid the environmental issues from 2018, such as the usage of kerosene to light sandcastles and the conservation of the beach’s natural terrain.

In the 2007 series, sandcastle making that involved any fees was strictly prohibited unless holding a mayor’s permit for special occasions and paying a regulatory fee of Php100.

While in the 2022 series, sandcastle builders must wear identification cards instead, charging tourists is as follows: photos with sandcastle shall cost Php20 to Php50, while sandcastle customization shall cost Php1,000 to P3,000.

With COVID-19 cases still amidst the country, sandcastle building is only possible from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a maximum of 6 builders in the area, excluding Barangay Yapak locals who are restricted to their beach, and builders cannot transfer locations.

Photo Credit:
https://www.facebook.com/DepartmentOfTourism

Source:
https://www.facebook.com/lgumalay