Bad publicity on Mindanao casts dark shadow over tourism

Business to meet on December 10 to assess effect of Maguindanao

DAVAO CITY – Hotels and airline companies posted negative figures immediately after the November 23 massacre of civilians in Maguindanao despite the distance of the area to this most progressive city in the South and having one of the best security blanket anywhere else in the country.

With reported losses also expected to hit the other sectors, the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) conducted its own survey of members on the extent of the effect of the incident on their business.

Simeon P. Marfori II, DCCCII president, said the two sectors absorbed the immedaite impact of the incident in remote Ampatuan town in Maguindanao, which was placed under Martial Law on December 4 to contain what the government claimed was a threat of rebellion to be mounted by the followers of the powerful Ampatuan clan.

“Hotels lost 200 room nights since the news broke out,” he told reporters here December 9, saying that the figure was estimated from the cancellation of bookings.

Airlines also reported a drop in booking of flights going into the city and nearby provinces although Marfori said that the figures were still unavailable from the other businesses in the city.

Maguindanao is more than 250 kilometers to west of here and part of the Central Mindanao region, where clans with armed members or links to the guerrilla groups have traditionally exerted powerful influence on several areas. These powerful clans manifest their political and armed influence especially during the elections or in occasional instances of rido, the traditional practice of exacting vengeance.

On November 23, armed men now being linked to the Ampatuans stopped a convoy of vehicles and killed the members of the rival Mangudadatu clan who intended to register the candidacies of their members at the Comelec. They were accompanied by two women lawyers and 30 members of the local media. Some of the 57 victims happened to pass by the highway linking Maguindanao with Sultan Kudarat province, the bailiwick of the Mangudadatu.

Marfori would not disclose the result of the survey yet, but said that it would be presented to the business owners or their representatives during a meeting he called for on Thursday.

The survey was conducted last week and questions revolved around the inquiry on whether or not their businesses were affected and how, what was the status of their business before and after the November 23 massacre and to give statistics.

The meeting would try to assess the general impact of business, at least in Davao City, and Marfori said the meeting may forward some recommendations.

He said that the DCCCII would adapt a wait-and-see attitude on the Palace's declaration of Martial Law in Maguindanao saying that “we would allow the measure to develop onto something that the government has claimed to achieve”.

“We would see the declaration of Martial Law within the purview of the powers vested on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the Chief Executive”.

“And why not allow the Chief Executive to do it? She is answerable anyway,” he added. Marfori said that “if the President would always be stymied by every [contrary] opinion, she can't do or accomplish anything”.

“Let her have the rope to hang herself, if the move she is implementing would create bigger mistakes,” he said.