While the Philippines hoped for a recovery in tourism as it reopened its Boracay resort in October after months of lockdown due to the coronavirus, some business owners on the small island known for its white beaches have doubts if tourists will return quickly enough.
Some doubt they will be able to make up for lost revenues given that the country is in the last quarter of the year, considered leisure-unfriendly "typhoon months."
One of them is Jiro Asanuma, the only Japanese entrepreneur who remained on the central Philippines island through the lockdown.