Photo by Don Lejano
ILOILO CITY—Bowing to widespread opposition, the municipal council of Kalibo in Aklan province has scrapped a proposed ordinance requiring guests and tourists of the municipality to pay P30 in environmental fee.
Councilor Ariel Fernandez, author of the proposal, said he withdrew his sponsorship of the measure titled “An Ordinance Fixing an Environmental Admission Fee to all Tourists that Sojourn in the Municipality of Kalibo” due to protests.
“I decided to withdraw it because of the many negative comments and observations against it aired in radio stations and other venues,” Fernandez told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a telephone interview.
He said most agencies represented during a June 20 public hearing opposed the measure.
Fernandez and Councilor George Quimpo filed the proposal earlier this month on the recommendation of the Municipal Economic Enterprise Development Office.
Under the proposal, tourists, travelers and nonresidents of Aklan would be charged P30 upon arrival at the town’s entry points.
Children aged 12 years old and below, persons with disabilities, government officials and dignitaries on official business would be exempted.
The measure was aimed at raising funds for the rehabilitation and improvement of tourism facilities and projects and for waste management facilities and programs, according to Fernandez.
The proposed fee is similar to the P75 environmental fee collected at the Caticlan jetty port for all non-Aklan residents going to Boracay Island.
The fee in Caticlan is intended to fund environmental projects and facilities as part of efforts to preserve Boracay’s fragile ecosystem.
But many Aklan residents criticized the measure, saying it may turn off tourists and guests of Kalibo, the capital town of Aklan.
Fernandez said various sectors had pointed out that while tourists stayed days or weeks in Boracay, many of those arriving on regional and international flights at Kalibo International Airport were on their way to Boracay.
“We might end up charging them twice in environmental fees if they are proceeding to Boracay,” he said.
Kalibo, a first-class municipality (annual income: over P50 million), is a gateway to Boracay Island. It draws tens of thousands of tourists every year during the Kalibo Ati-Atihan every January.