Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu on Friday ordered the temporary suspension of dragon boat races in Aklan’s Boracay Island in the wake of a fatal accident claiming the lives of seven members of the Boracay Dragon Boat Team.
Such activities are “postponed for the time being until emergency protocols are thoroughly scrutinized,” he said.
“We are temporarily suspending all dragon boat race activities in Boracay, including practice and training, until we have assessed their practice protocols,” he asserted.
Cimatu is the Boracay inter-agency task force chairperson.
According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources chief, all agencies involved in emergency rescue and response are set to meet on Sept. 30 to conduct a comprehensive assessment of protocols, logistics and resources, and to come up with recommendations to address gaps subject to the approval of the BIATF.
The agencies include Malay local government and its disaster risk reduction and management office, Philippine National Police’s Maritime Group, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Tourism, local dragon boat associations and other water sports associations in the Philippines.
Cimatu expressed his sympathy to the victims and their families.
He vowed to strengthen emergency response programs in Boracay Island to prevent a repeat of the incident.
Last Sept. 25, seven members of the Boracay Dragon Force died, while 14 others were injured when the boat they were rowing capsized off Boracay Island.
The group was training for an upcoming international competition in Taiwan.
Members of the team were not wearing life vests during that time, while one of the paddlers did not know how to swim, report said.