The Philippines Coast Guard has mobilised patrols to bolster security at five popular tourist destinations, but other tourists spots are not covered by the new measure, a senior official said.

Transport and Communication Secretary Pantaleon Alvarez said that patrol boats have been posted at beach areas of Boracay, Aklan, central Philippines; Cebu in central Philippines; Camiguin and Davao in southern Philippines; and Puerto Galera in southern Luzon.

But although the coast guard has sufficient manpower, it suffers from a shortage of patrol craft, said Alvarez. The long-stalled five-year-development plan to modernise the Philippines Coast Guard has been overtaken by a rash of raids on beach resorts by bandits, he added.

Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon remained bullish about the future of the tourism industry when he took reporters to Dos Palmas in Palawan, southwestern Philippines. "Anything can hurt tourism at the moment.

We don't have to tell everybody that we are not in good shape," he said. "But it is unfair to say we are a kidnap capital. If we do that we are practically rewarding the Abu Sayyaf." Tourism operators here said they fear grave setbacks for the local industry following the abduction of 20 persons from the posh Dos Palmas Island resort on Saturday.

Despite assurances from local and national government officials, owners of hotel, restaurant and tourist-oriented businesses are not optimistic for Palawan's tourism-based economy, in light of the advisory by the U.S. embassy against travel to Mindanao and Palawan.

The province receives about 140,000 tourists a year, generating about $1m in revenue. "This will affect us badly," said a local hotel owner. "It is an isolated incident but we cannot explain this to the people. With the travel ban from the U.S., we cannot expect people to come here like before.

We need more aggressive marketing, and to promote the good side of Palawan," he added. The Palawan and Puerto Princesa Tourism Councils yesterday agreed to beef up security in member establishments. At Dos Palmas Resort, operations are normal and only a minimal number of foreign guests have cancelled bookings, according to Allan Fabian, resort spokesperson.

Palawan Governor Joel Reyes also called for unity to protect the local economy. "Tourism is not only the responsibility of the government. We are going to fight back. We are not going to just lie down and put our hands up," he said.

The provincial government has announced a $2m reward for information leading to the identity and whereabouts of the perpetrators. Describing the attack at Dos Palmas as a 'temporary setback', Gordon said things will return to normal.

The government must respond with security measures to attain its credibility as a tourist destination. Gordon promised security for tourists, but international reports of the kidnapping incidents have made the government brace for a slump in the tourism industry, one of the major sources of revenue.