Boracay drone light show to replace New Year’s Eve fireworks

BORACAY, Philippines – The town of Malay in Aklan will replace the traditional New Year’s Eve fireworks display on world famous Boracay island with a drone light show, Mayor Floribar Bautista told Rappler in an interview on Monday, November 14.

December 31, 2022 will be the first time Malay brings back the yearend spectacular on the resort island after a six-month closure in 2018 followed by a two-year COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

Bautista said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has discouraged the use of fireworks displays in this resort island due to environmental concerns.

“Now with the advent of new technology, we are considering a drone light show that will light up the sky of Boracay to welcome the New Year,” Bautista said.

The Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) in 2019 stood pat on its rehabilitation guidelines to ban beach fireworks that were once a popular draw aside from the revelry in the island’s bars and hotels.

A drone light show, Bautista said, will provide a festive air and yet be safe for residents, visitors, and the environment.

“We are still looking though for partners who could sponsor the expenses needed for the drone light show,” the mayor said, while expressing confidence about getting support for the project.

There is a big reason to celebrate the New Year, said Bautista, citing the return of tourist arrivals to pre-pandemic levels.

Citing reports from the Malay Tourism Office, Bautista said that from January to October this year, 1.4-million tourists visited the island.

Roselle Ruiz, head of the Aklan Provincial Tourism Office, also told Rappler they have initial reports on the possible return of flights from Singapore to the Kalibo International Airport (KIA) this December.

The local government of Malay has also received reports of other international flights coming to the Godofredo Ramos Airport in Caticlan, also this December. 

A cursory check at travel promo websites shows a few other foreign airlines, aside from Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, and Air Asia popping up on a search of tickets from Taipei to Caticlan, with a stop at Mactan International Airport.

But Ruiz said the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has not received any confirmation yet about these routes.  

“What CAAP told me is that currently, the KIA is receiving direct flights from several international airlines such as T’Way (formerly Hansung Airlines, it is a South Korean low-cost airline) and Air Seoul,” she said. 

Their routes are coming from Incheon, South Korea to the Kalibo International Airport, she added. – Rappler.com