‘Fee hike will limit tourists’

A public hearing will be held this afternoon in Oslob town, southern Cebu, to explain to fisherfolk  an April 15 increase in fees for visitors.

“We will also discuss how to address the concerns of  visitors,” Oslob Mayor Ronal Guaren told Cebu Daily News.

Tourist arrivals peaked at about 1,500 guests on Easter Sunday amid  complaints of long  lines, priority numbers that were  not followed and lack of diving gear for rent and facilities.

Several fishermen and  tourists  said  higher rates  may turn away future visitors.

The mayor said the rate increases are  meant to prevent overcrowding  and to protect the whale sharks, which locals call “tuki.”

“The important thing is the protection of the whale sharks and not their income. That’s the essence of coming up with the ordinance, not that we want our income to increase,” Guaren told Cebu Daily News.

The rate hike was approved as recent amendments to a January ordinance of the Oslob Municipal Council regulating whale shark watching activities.

From P320,  the fee for snorkeling will go up to P500 for local  guests  and P1,000 for foreigners.

For diving, the rate will be increased to P600 for locals and P1,500 for foreign divers.

At present P300 is charged for whale shark watching, with an additional P20 for snorkeling and P50 for diving.

Oslob residents enjoy a  discount at P30 per adult and half that rate for children.

Guaren said the idea to increase rates came from dive shop owners who operate in Oslob  when  town officials first talked about a ban on snorkeling and diving with whale sharks.

“They said that they are willing to pay  the increased rates to minimize  visitors,” Guaren said.

He said they met with  dive shops and consulted the Oslob Whale Watchers Association (OWWA) last February before amending the ordinance.

“They were properly consulted,” said Guaren  through the association even though the  town didn’t  meet with all 42 fisherfolk  who work as boatmen, guides and feeders.

Guaren admitted there are still flaws in the  system of handling  visitors  who have been flocking to Oslob since late  2012 to sea whale sharks up close.

When Cebu Daily News visited barangay Tanaw-an, the staging area for paddle boats that bring tourists a short distance out to sea, the car park area was full  by 6 a.m of Easter Sunday as  visitors fell in line to ride a banca.

Some complained that  priority numbers were not implemented by town personnel, while others skipped the briefing of the whale watching without being checked by local authorities.

Guaren said they will focus on finding solutions to concerns for the comfort of visitors and the safety of the  whale sharks, which are considered a “vulnerable species” by international wildlife conservation experts.

“We want to sustain the presence of the tuki. They have to feel safe,”  Guaren said

Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale said she wants the Provincial Board (PB) to amend a 2010 ordinance she sponsored for the protection of wildlife in Cebu so that it includes whale sharks.

“A lot of people are texting me and asking when’s the best time to visit Oslob,” she said. /Candeze R. Mongaya, Reporter with Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus