If you plan on visiting one of the Philippines’ thousands of beaches this summer, you might want to take note of this.
Last week, just before the Holy Week break began, police stopped two foreign tourists, who were in a town away from a beach in Panglao, Bohol, for not being fully clothed. One, a man, was only wearing boardshorts while the other, a woman was in a bikini.
Although they weren’t issued a citation, the police warned them to cover up before letting them go.
“We are reminding them to please observe proper decorum even if they are guests in this place,” policeman Romar Labasbas of Panglao Island, Bohol, told ABS-CBN News.
He said that tourists can wear bikinis and go around topless at the beach, but to refrain from doing so near churches and beaches.
Seems basic to ask people to wear shirts outdoors, but in a tropical country like the Philippines, men walking around without a shirt and with only shorts on is commonplace.
Although several hours away from any beach, in Metro Manila, a Quezon City city ordinance even moved to stop anyone — local or foreigners alike — from going around the city without shirts on.
What do you think about this order? Should people be forced to cover up? Comment below. Or tweet us @CoconutsManila.
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