Hotels fully booked as tourists arrive in Boracay for 'Laboracay'

Due to the long weekend and the grandest beach party happening on Monday night, hotels and resorts in Boracay, Aklan were fully booked, forcing tourists to sleep on the beachfront, a report on Unang Balita on Monday said.

Laboracay (from the words "Labor Day" and "Boracay") is the annual beach party held on May 1, and tourists have begun partying since Thursday in the run-up to the big event.

On Sunday, the eve of Laboracay, parties were held left and right, from a yacht party in the afternoon to a splash party at night, GMA News' Dano Tingcungco reported.

The beachfront was full of people, not just partygoers, but tourists who could not get accommodations at hotels and resorts.

Some of them pitched tents while others just laid down mats and shawls to sleep on.

The Boracay Action Group has been patrolling the area, and three firetrucks were spotted on standby ready to respond to any fire.

Policemen were also visible and in fact were able to arrest a man and his two cohorts caught slashing the bag of a Korean tourist to get a cellphone. The three will be charged with theft, Boracay Police said.

Boracay remains a popular destination due to its white-sand beach and bustling night life.

It placed fourth on "The World's Friendliest Islands" 2016 list of the international travel magazine Travel + Leisure. —KG, GMA News