Places and Tourism

MUNICIPALITY OF MALAY

The Premier Tourist Destination

The Municipality of Malay is a first class municipality in the province of Aklan. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 32,110 people in 4,747 households.

The resort island Boracay is geographically part of the municipality although administratively independent of it (Boracay is under the administrative control of the Philippine Tourism Authority in coordination with the provincial government of Aklan).

The municipality of Malay and Boracay will host the 2014 Asian Beach Games.

It was hit severely by the typhoon Seniang on 9-10 December 2006, with much destruction and damage of homes and infrastructure.

Barangays

Malay is politically subdivided into 17 barangays.

Argao Balabag* Balusbos

Calubihan Caticlan Cogon

Cubay Norte Cubay Sur Dumlog

Manoc-Manoc* Nausog Nabaoy

Napaan Motag Poblacion

Yapak*

(*) The 3 barangays which comprise the Island of Boracay.

CATICLAN PORTS: Gateway to Boracay

Airport.

Caticlan Airport (Godofredo P. Ramos Airport) is located in Caticlan and the Jetty Port there is one of the ports along the Strong Republic Nautical Highway and the gateway to Boracay island.

The airport is the seventh busiest airport in the Philippines and the third-busiest in the Western Visayas region, serving 761,961 passengers in 2008. It is also a hub for South East Asian Airlines, with SEAIR serving the most destinations out of and having the most flights to and from Malay.

Since November 8, 2002, the airport has been named after the late Godofredo P. Ramos, a former member of Congress and a native of Malay. However, the name Caticlan Airport takes its name from its location on Barangay Caticlan in the same town.

The National Economic and Development Authority has approved the expansion of Godofredo P. Ramos Airport, which will be undertaken by a private company called the Caticlan International Airport and Development Corporation. The P2.5-billion expansion of the airport entails two stages: the construction of a new passenger terminal in the first stage, costing some P2.1 billion, and the extension of the existing runway to 2,100 meters as well as upgrading airport equipment and the existing apron, costing some P360 million.

Solicited as a Build-Operate-Transfer project and financed by a 70-30 mixture of bank loan and private sector equity, around 25 percent of the allocated funds would be used to clear a mountain near the airport’s proximity, while an additional 18 percent would be allocated for land reclamation to accommodate an extended runway.

The upgrading works would enable the airport not only to support jet aircraft but also to serve international destinations. Barring any hitches, both phases of the expansion would be complete by as early as 2011. Other estimates place it between 2012 and 2014..

Sea Port

Caticlan Sea Port is also known as the Caticlan Jetty Port and known such because it is in Barangay Caticlan, Municipality of Malay in the Province of Aklan. There are flights from main cities in the Philippines such as Manila, Cebu and Davao going to Caticlan Airport. But there are certain times of the year that there are no flights because of insufficient passengers especially during lean season. There are regular flights from the main cities going to Kalibo International Airport. It accommodates those who are for Kalibo and nearby municipalities of the province of Capiz as well as the tourists going to Boracay. The distance of Kalibo International Airport to Caticlan is about 50 kilometers and a land trip would take about 1 ½ hours.

From Caticlan Jetty Port going to Cagban Jetty Port in Boracay and vice versa, you need to pay at least 3 tickets. The “Environmental Fee” is P50, the “Terminal Fee” is also P50, while the fee for the Liner is only P20-P40 depending on the season. The distance from Caticlan Port to Cagban is about 1 kilometer and the travel time is only 15-20 minutes.

Although there are other starting points, the Public Ferry that takes tourists to Boracay is only at the Caticlan Port because this is the closes point going to Cagban Jetty Port in Boracay. In the other sea ports in the Philippines their only destination is at the main ports in mainland Panay, spread in the provinces of Aklan, Iloilo, Antique and Capiz. The Caticlan Port is the only Tourist Gateway going to Paradise./TE