To help ensure the safety of residents and tourists on Boracay Island, PLDT-Smart Foundation and Smart Communications recently turned over satellite phones to the Department of Tourism for local authorities, and automated hand sanitizer dispensers.
The satellite phones will aid in communication among local and tourism officials. The hand sanitizers, facilitated by Makati Medical Center Foundation, will be installed at public areas to help boost community health efforts and safe travel amid COVID-19 concerns in the Philippines. Present during the turnover were representatives of the organizations led by Tourism Undersecretary Arturo Boncato, PLDT-Smart Foundation president Esther O. Santos, Smart Public Affairs Head for Visayas-Mindanao Maria Jane Paredes, and Makati Medical Center Foundation Executive Director Marge Macasaet Barro.
It can be recalled that the island of Boracay was lauded ‘best island in Asia’ for 2019 by Conde Nast Traveler in its 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards. Penang in Malaysia placed 3rd and Bali in Indonesia placed 5th. Other notable destinations included in the list were Cebu and Visayas islands. This was the verdict according to 600,000 voters in the magazine’s survey.
