Filipino movies

Proposed increase in Boracay environmental fees needs further study–provincial board

Boy Ryan B. Zabal

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

Proposed increase in Boracay environmental fees needs further study–provincial board

Boy Ryan Zabal/Rappler.com

The Aklan Sangguniang Panlalawigan says that all Aklanons and non-resident workers in Boracay Island should be exempted from paying the environmental fee

AKLAN, Philippines – The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Aklan wants a further review and study of a new proposal to raise the environmental fee charged to tourists and guests to sustain the environmental and waste management programs in Boracay Island. 

The municipal ordinance authored by Malay town councilor Maylynn Aguirre-Graf imposes the following environmental fees: P300 for foreigners; P150 for non-Aklanon local tourists; and P50 for Aklanon who are non-residents of Malay.

Residents of Malay are exempted from paying the environmental fee.

However, the SP prefers that the exemption would cover all Aklanons and non-resident workers in Boracay Island.

The SP committees on Laws, Rules and Ordinances, Environment, and Tourism met with the proponents on June 16 to discuss Municipal Ordinance No. 414 series of 2020 of Malay imposing an environmental and admission fee for all visitors and guests bound for Boracay Island.

Boracay bound guests and tourists have been paying environmental and admission fees since 2005. However, Aklanons and persons below 12 years old are exempted from the payment under Municipal Ordinance No. 230 series of 2005. 

A foreigner or domestic tourist currently pays a P75 environmental fee and another P100 for terminal fee.

The environmental fee was increased in July 2010 from P50.

Last year, the local government of Malay decided to raise the environmental fee to sustain the island’s waste management programs and improve the sanitary landfill in mainland Malay, which was supported by Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu.

The new municipal ordinance justified the environmental and admission fee imposition as an indispensable revenue generation project where the fees collected would address the island’s environmental and tourism concerns.

“The maintenance and preservation of the island as well as the provision of tourism infrastructures exact heavy financing on the LGU, and the present amount of fee imposed is not enough to sustain Boracay’s needs as an international tourist destination,” Graf said.

At the June 16 committee hearing, SP member Immanuel Sodusta said that the board favored the exemption of Aklanons from paying the P50 environmental and admission fees. 

Sodusta also expressed reservation over the ordinance, saying workers in Boracay Island who are staying in mainland Malay would be charged with the fees under the proposed measure.

Sodusta learned during the committee hearing that the environmental fee is collected from tourists, travelers, and guests upon entering Boracay Island to recoup the costs of disposing garbage.

Unpaid garbage hauling, tipping fees

The local government of Malay owes ECOS Sanitary Landfill and Waste Management Corporation, a private company contracted to collect garbage in Boracay Island, tipping fees amounting to P14.258-million, covering the period of September to December, and unpaid hauling services worth P92.041 from June to December last year.

This year, the Malay local government already owes ECOS P8.238 million in tipping fees and P16.501 million in hauling fees for the months of March to May.

The Malay local government accumulated these unpaid fees due to hauling of debris during the rehabilitation of Boracay and in the aftermath of Typhoon Ursula.

The municipal budget for garbage collection was only P65 million, which was not enough to cover the services of ECOS.

(READ: Local officials propose tipping fee for Boracay trash)

The municipal government of Malay needs at least P130 million budget yearly for the hauling of garbage and P40 million for operational expenses. – Rappler.com

 

 

Add a comment

Sort by

There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.

Summarize this article with AI

How does this make you feel?

Loading
Download the Rappler App!