Puerto Princesa City eyes tax cuts for tourism sector

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY –– The City government is eyeing tax cuts to enable the tourism sector to bounce back when the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) is lifted.

Celebrity-turned-councilor Matthew Mendoza, the tourism committee chairperson at the City Council, said on Tuesday that the local government was focused on self-preservation against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), citing plans to help the tourism-centered city get back on its feet.

Mendoza said the Department of Tourism, tourism council, and local and national tourism-related enterprises were planning the “next steps” for the tourism sector.

“The possible government assistance may be tax incentives, regulatory fees discounts subject to city study and approval. We will also assist in asking for these incentives from national agencies, for instance, on renewals, etc.,” he said.

Boosting local tourism, while anticipating further suspension of the land, sea, and air travels, was also sought to help recover from the significant drop in tourism since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis in January.

Palawan Governor Jose Alvarez, in an earlier statement, said the island province, which was frequented by local and foreign tourists, had suffered losses due to COVID-related restrictions.

“It affected the tourism sector of Palawan, including malls, airlines, and hotels considering that there were flight cancelations,” he said.

The City Tourism Office reported that domestic and foreign arrivals last January were only 60,714 compared to the same period in 2019 at 110,046; while February 2020 recorded only 22,905 tourist arrivals compared to the previous year’s 117,095.

Puerto Princesa mayor Lucilo Bayron locked down the airport going in and out of the city on March 5, ahead of the Luzon-wide ECQ imposed by President Duterte on March 14.

Edited by LZB