President Arroyo said yesterday she plans to promote Siquijor as "another Boracay," and the island’s air of mystery could be part of its attraction to tourists.
"The attraction, really, of Siquijor is its mysticism – its link to the past," she said.
The President asked officials why the island had earned a reputation of having a "tradition regarding the occult."
"It turned out that long before virgin coconut oil became the fashion, here, they already had a kind of virgin coconut oil extracted from the coconut trees from fruits that face east. And there’s a ritual to it," she narrated.
Mrs. Arroyo said the island’s residents called this oil "lana," but could not explain the word’s origins. She added that the ritual could be relived and "the oil extracted from the coconut fruits that face east" could be used to draw tourists to the island.
She said she called Agriculture Secretary Arturo Yap right away so he could work on a tie-up with Siquijor’s residents to "produce their own peculiar brand of virgin coconut oil — the lana."
"They have to put a coconut oil mill here so... they can sell (the product) in the resorts," the President said.
"They can even develop a kind of spa where you have the massage, the lana like the Balinese and Thai. Because the slogan is ‘Siquijor, the mystic island’ and that lana will provide that mysticism," she added.
Siquijor is a small island with six towns, underdeveloped but very peaceful, according to Vice Gov. Carl Mark Ganhinhin. He said while illegal drugs and other crimes pose problems, they are easily managed because of the island’s small population.
It also has a reputation for witch cults, part of its attraction for curious local travelers and an aspect which even Lonely Planet has reported on its website.
Mrs. Arroyo had gone to Siquijor yesterday to inaugurate two port development projects in the towns of Lazi and Larena. She was met by the island’s residents, most of whom were students who jostled each other to try and shake her hand.
Asked how she felt about her welcome, the President said, "I’m very, very happy to be here in Siquijor, which has been very, very supportive of me. We really want to develop Siquijor into one of the tourism attractions of central Philippines."
While lunching with journalists, she enthusiastically discussed the Siquijor’s potential to become the next Boracay, a thriving resort in Aklan province.
"The key, really, is to have low-cost travel to Siquijor. And that’s why I’m adamant that we should have these RORO (roll-on, roll-off) ports and RORO vessels," she said.
The President said Siquijor is surrounded by "beautiful white beaches" and what she plans to do is improve access to the island "so the people can come here as easily as they go to Boracay now."
"We need more tourists to come here, that’s why we need the (RORO) ferry because we’ve seen that in Boracay, now Boracay has no more low season because of the RORO," she said.
The President asked a prospective investor, businessman Paul Rodriguez, to join her at table and discuss how he can invest in a RORO system for Siquijor.
She said the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) has a P30-billion loan portfolio for investment in the RORO system and she would like Rodriguez and other businessmen to take advantage of it.
The President said she had Rodriguez talk to DBP yesterday and they are set to meet next week.
"We’re encouraging other investors to put up (funds) and if Mr. Rodriguez (cannot), the government will put up (enough) just to compete until the private sector can come in," she said. "That’s going all the way for development."
Siquijor, called Isla by residents in nearby Dumaguete, is known for its old churches as well as occult practices. The island, accessible usually by motorboat from Dumaguete only when the currents are right, is said to come alive during the Holy Week.