A newcomer to a cabinet post is usually greeted by a  host of problems that demand his immediate attention  and  action. Not exactly a warm type of welcome for one who still has to try and fit into a new pair of shoes, so to speak.

For Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, there’s a pebble in his new shoes that could affect his plans and efforts to put our country on the forefront of the tourism map in this part of the world.

This has to do with a drowning incident that claimed the life of a woman last December. The victim, Ma. Cecily de Guzman, was with her family, vacationing in Puerto Princesa in Palawan where they stayed at the Sheridan Beach Resort and Spa in Sabang Beach.  The morning after they checked in, some members went for a swim after a hearty breakfast.

That morning was not ideal for swimming. There were signs posted by the local government urging swimmers to exercise caution.  The resort’s lifeguard on duty repeatedly told the group about the strong current and advised them to stay close to shore. 

Soon enough, however, cries for help came from the swimmers who had been dragged by the rip current towards the sea’s deeper end. De Guzman, who was not among the swimmers, rushed over and joined the boatmen and the resort’s lifeguards in the rescue attempt. 

Overcome by exhaustion and not being a strong swimmer, De Guzman nearly drowned fighting the strong current.  She was pulled onto a boat where the lifeguard administered first aid.  Sheridan’s resident nurse also helped and was able to get de Guzman to expel the vomit obstructing her airways.  The members of the family who were doctors then took over the task of resuscitation.

De Guzman was rushed in an ambulance to the nearest hospital that was 80 kilometers away. She was, however, pronounced dead on arrival.  To help ease the family’s burden, the Sheridan resort management shouldered Ma. Cecily’s hospital and funeral expenses as well as the family’s accommodations in the place. The family expressed its gratitude to the resort’s people for all the help all they gave.

However, in a turnabout that shocked the resort’s owners and staff, several months later, the family sent them a notice demanding payment of P15 million for the drowning incident.  Lately, several articles have been published, blaming the resort for the tragedy, and asking the local and provincial governments and the Tourism Department to take action against Sheridan.

Such moves have elicited a strong wave of concern among resort owners who know that they are not liable for drownings that occur in the seas surrounding the shore, and especially in instances where sufficient warnings are given to swimmers.

This development has serious repercussions on the efforts of the private and the government sectors to attract the international community to our beach resorts that could be ranked with some of the best in the world.

All these factors must be considered in this case that must deal with the interests of the victim’s family, the resort, and of the country’s tourism stakeholders.