COVID-19, tourism recovery, interagency enforcement, Boracay Island 

This paper investigated the Malay COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force Executive Order No. 02-2020 implementation plan: prevention, detection, and isolation phases against COVID-19 in the island of Boracay. Data was gathered from 10 informants among the 4 clusters of the Malay IATF: the Philippine National Police (PNP), Malay local government unit (LGU), other National Government Agencies (NGAs), and sectoral representatives. The informants gave a clear picture of collaboration and enforcement to address several challenges during the first months of the pandemic namely: fast-changing and voluminous policies, blurred lines of authority and coordination, the reluctance of LGU to impose sanctions, and unresponsive protocols. Ongoing challenges are: limitations to the capability of IATF members for public safety, lack of integration of information systems, unresponsive port and healthcare infrastructure, and stakeholders’ refusal to cooperate. Researchers recommended the following: promoting joint capability enhancement through joint training and simulation exercises, strongly pushing for investment in technology and facilities by provincial and municipal LGUs for effective COVID-19 prevention, detection, and isolation, incentivizing businesses to enforce protocols in their establishments, conducting stakeholder communication and engagement, and building trust with essential sectors.