By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora | Philippine News Agency
The Philippines inaugurated Tuesday a special white beach for Muslim travelers in world-renowned Boracay Island.
The beach, called the “Marhaba Boracay”, is the first of its kind on the island and is located at the Boracay Newcoast area, facing the famed “Lapus-Lapus” rock formation.
In a news release, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said the cove would be open to “Muslim families and travelers.”
“The launching of the Marhaba Boracay aligns with the DOT’s continuous efforts under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to promote Halal and Muslim-friendly tourism in the Philippines,” it said.
“The initiative comes on the heels of the country’s back-to-back recognitions as an Emerging Muslim-friendly Destination among non-OIC countries in the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2023 and 2024,” it added.
The project was initiated by the Malay local government, the DOT, and the Megaworld Hotels & Resorts.
The DOT said the cove was patterned from other existing Muslim-friendly beaches in tourism destinations such as the Maldives and Thailand.
It is envisioned to be a “special-use area for Muslim travelers and families,” taking into consideration Islamic laws, it said.