Crime rate in Boracay dips by almost 90% during month-long closure

The number of crimes in Boracay dramatically dwindled during the month-long government shutdown of the popular tourist destination, the regional police said on Saturday.

Only 11 crimes were reported from April 26 to May 25, the Philippine National Police Regional Office 6 (PRO6) said. This was a more than 88 percent decrease from the 96 reported crimes during the same period last year.

In a statement, the PRO6 said that its Metro Boracay Police Task Force (MBPTF) assessed that "the island remains to be peaceful with no significant incident that transpired during one month of closure which even covers the election period."

The MBPTF has shifted its operational focus from public order to anti-criminality. For this, the task force created the Community Action Center (ComPACs) on May 1.

It also identified crime hotspots and intensified its traffic deployment.

"All these, along with the sustained activities on crime prevention prior the closure such as border control, community relations activities, intensified intelligence operations, social investigation and strengthening of inter-agency coordination made Boracay Island peaceful," the statement read.

Boracay, the Philippines' most famous holiday island, was closed off to tourists for a six-month cleanup that started April 26.

The same day, President Rodrigo Duterte declared the island to be under a state of calamity. — Jessica Bartolome/MDM, GMA News