Baguio’s Holy Week arrivals drop by half as fuel prices rise

Tourists take in the breathtaking view of the old mining terraces in Baguio’s Mines View Park, capturing photos and soaking up the cool pre-summer air. —FILE PHOTO BY NEIL CLARK ONGCHANGCO

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The continuous increase in the prices of fuel following the conflict in the Middle East has reduced by half the number of Holy Week tourists in the summer capital, according to data gathered by the city tourism office from initial records of hotel bookings and traffic reports.

The local government, in previous years, would log at least 80,000 visitors spending Holy Week in Baguio, a favorite holiday and convention destination that can be reached after a four-hour drive from Metro Manila, government records showed.

But tourists still motored up to Baguio during the break, which used to be the traditional peak summer season for the city, and big hotels continued to host conferences, said city tourism officer Alec Mapalo.

READ: Baguio forms crisis committee to address fuel price hike effects

Bus trips

“Smaller accommodations reflected losses,” he said, adding that his office will still consolidate and validate booking records from January to March.

Mapalo said the city government would also study the economic impact of a recent decision made by major bus companies, like Victory Liner, to reduce trips to conserve fuel supply.

On Monday, Victory Liner said it was adjusting the interval and frequency of its bus trips as the company said it “is currently facing significant operational challenges” due to the ongoing fuel crisis.

The diesel price surge has crippled local transport so the city government is drafting an agreement with jeepney drivers who will be paid “passenger backload” subsidies in exchange for ferrying commuters at night.

To stretch their fuel, many drivers have been cutting short their day’s operations, leaving long lines of commuters after office and school hours.

As of Wednesday, diesel prices in the city reached as high as P165.70 per liter. Fuel prices in the summer capital have been P10 higher than its closest neighbors supposedly due to high demand and steep property values in this tourist destination.

Diesel in the vegetable trading town of La Trinidad in Benguet province sold for P158 per liter.

In Kalinga’s Tabuk City on Wednesday, about 1,187 tricycle drivers and operators were each granted a P5,000 cash subsidy to cope with the fuel price spikes, according to Enrique Gascon, Cordillera director of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. /cb