Boracay has always been a sweet spot for businesses due to its pristine beaches and breathtaking sunsets. But that wasn't the case in the past 3 years, especially for establishments that were forced to close down during the COVID-19 pandemic, some of which were never able to reopen.

Sunny Side Cafe owner Nowee Potenciano recalls how the 6-month island cleanup in 2018 and the COVID-19 lockdowns beginning in 2020 "decimated" the food and beverage scene in Boracay. Sunny Side Cafe has been operating on the island since 2014.

"The past couple of years have honestly been very rough for us. Even 2022 was still a little uncertain for us, especially since we started that year with Omicron [COVID-19 variant]," Potenciano said.

"The pandemic pretty much drained all of our resources. We had tried reopening in Boracay in January 2021 and June 2021, but each time we did, we were shut down again in three weeks," he added.

REBUILDING IN BORACAY

Once they were allowed to reopen, the cafe, known for its breakfast classics with unique spin such as cold brew tiramisu, specialty pancakes and champorado, was faced with new challenges such as inflation.

Potenciano said they had to slightly adjust prices for the business to remain economically viable. Most ingredients have to be brought into the island which brings the cost up "considerably," he said.

"We were severely hit by inflation and rising costs of goods and transportation. As such, we had no choice but to increase prices last year. We hope though that prices have stabilized for now," he said.

Prices now range from P300 to P600 "but whatever you order, we make sure that they’re a good serving size so that you never go hungry," he said.

Another way they were able to adapt to the challenges was by elevating local ingredients, he said. The cafe's heirloom rice champorado uses sticky rice grown by Banawe farmers, he said.

"This is also in line with our thrust to feature more local produce in our menu. That’s why we accelerated our efforts in using seasonal produce like mushrooms from Sagada and diwal (angel-wing clams) in our dishes," he said.

The cafe also expanded its vegan offerings to cater to a larger market, he added.

"I think one reason for our success is that never stop getting better. We’re always innovating and trying to evolve our menu and service," Potenciano shared.

Despite the rising costs, Potenciano said they have steadily recovered and have continuously been adapting to the changing consumer behavior.

He said even on the island, tourists are looking for delivery options, a lockdown trend they have carried into the new normal.

"Fortunately, the business has recovered over the past few months. We tried to weather the storms by taking care of our team to the best of our ability. The Sunny Side Cafe was, after all, not just a play on breakfast and bright summer days, it was also hope for a good future for us and our team. And hopefully, it will be smooth sailing from here on in," he said.

The Sunny Side Group operates several other brands on the island including Spicebird and Coco Mama, among others. After a "heavy year in 2022 of trying to rebuild," Potenciano said there are no plans yet on opening new ones but they remain open to good opportunities.

MAKING A LIVING FROM SOCIAL MEDIA "LIKES"

Tour operators and other related workers have also been hit hard by the lockdown, including the 19-year-old husband and working student Vince Abresado.

When the island shut down, he became a fisherman in order to feed their families.

But since January 2022, Abresado, along with his peers, has decided to join the growing group of tourism workers offering the now viral "crystal kayak" experience in Boracay.

With no expectations, I tried the attraction in the hopes of understanding why it has become so popular.

Abresado lightens the mood by sharing that anyone who tries the crystal kayak "photo shoot" is going to appear skinny on camera.

He was well-versed in the “influencer” vernacular, asking if I needed a “drone shot” for my "vlog." He had also mastered the tricks of hiding unwanted curves and choosing the most flattering angles for any body type.

Of course, Abresado also offers "human drone" services for tourists who want to spice up their vlog.

Tip for tourists who want to try the crystal kayak experience, go in the morning when there are fewer people on the beach. If possible, travel to the far south of Station 3 where there are fewer tourists. Fewer people mean the tour guide won't rush the “pictorial.”

And don't worry about the beach being green due to the algae, the operator will paddle to the bluest part of the sea to capture the best photos.

For tourists, this is but an island activity that they can post on social media. But for Abresado, this is what feeds his family on a daily basis.

Tourists pay around P250, depending on the season, to hire a crystal kayak operator for a 20 to 30-minute "pictorial session."

Abresado said he earns about P1,500 up to P4,500 on a good day. He just needs to pay the kayak rent for P500.

"Mas malakas ito [kesa sa pangingisda] kasi maraming taong gusto sumakay...Nakakaipon, nabibili ko mga gusto ko tulad ng mga damit. Mas malakas ang kita dito kesa sa pangingisda. Pag mangisda ka, malunod ka pa. Malaki talaga ang pasalamat," he said.

(This is better than fishing since a lot of tourists want to try. I can save now, I can buy what I want like clothes. It pays better than being a fisherman. When you fishing, you might even down. I'm really grateful)

Being a crystal kayak operator, he said, is also much more fun than fishing.

"Masaya naman. Para may maakain din tayo araw araw at enjoy naman magpasaya ng mga guests e (It's fun. At the same time, I do this so I can feed my family. I'm having fun making guests happy)," he said.

The crystal kayak has been so mainstream that the local government of Malay has pushed for a "Crystal Kayak" photography contest in April as part of the Love Boracay 2023 program.

Like Potenciano and Abresado, many on the island are still in the midst of rebuilding their pandemic-hit livelihoods. The continued tourist arrivals bring hope that Boracay may soon go back to its former glory.

According to the Department of Tourism, over 1.3 million foreigners arrived in the Philippines in the first quarter of 2023 alone. Locals are also still flying more due to "revenge travel."

This year, the DOT eyes welcoming 4.8 million international visitors which would help achieve a 100 percent recovery of the domestic tourism industry, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco earlier said.

In 2022, the total recorded tourism arrivals were at 2.65 million.

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