Sangguniang Bayan of Kibungan issues statement on PHP13.9K tourism fee incident
Motorcycle riders are probably one of the best supporters of local tourism. Every weekend, you’ll see thousands and thousands of motorcycle riders roaming around to enjoy local tourist spots, like old churches and religious places; spectacular views in the mountains, and of course, local delicacies.
Unfortunately, some local government units (LGUs) have taken advantage of this and have been charging motorcycle tourists (and maybe other tourists) excessive fees and other mandatory fees that would deter any repeat customer, so to speak.
For example, a few months ago, me and my buddies went on some adventure riding to the mighty Mount Pinatubo. We were dumbfounded when the Capas, Tarlac, Tourism Officer gave us the receipts amounting to PHP 1,500/person. This PHP 1,500 tourism fee is the required amount just to ride up the lahar and hike to the crater. It’s nice if that fee translates to some amenities like clean toilets, or maybe if we saw some improvement in the lives of the indigenous peoples who live along the Mt. Pinatubo trail, but nada. Some of the locals even claim that they are required to pay a certain fee so that they will be allowed to sell their produce or items like bottled water or cup noodles to Mt. Pinatubo tourists.
Anyway, it seems that this charging of exorbitant tourism fees is not exclusive to Capas, but also in Kibungan, Benguet. A few weeks ago, our good friend and fellow adventure riding enthusiast, Marc Soong, along with 5 friends, visited the town of Kibungan, with the goal of reaching Tacadang. Tacadang is probably one of the most remote areas you can go to in the Cordilleras until recently when a new road was built leading to the majestic views and virgin landscapes of the place.
Marc’s group went and mingled with the locals and shared their great experiences on social media through photos and videos. The videos and photos went viral and eventually, reached Kibungan’s Tourism Office and this is where the issue started.
Though the group registered before entering Brgy. Tacadang (a practice in far-flung areas for security and emergency dispatch purposes), they were not informed that they had to pay certain tourism fees before proceeding. The group, in all honesty, was also not expecting to pay any fees as their adventure riding activity is comparable to a passing motorist riding on a public road. Long story short, the tourism office demanded a total of PHP 13,900 in fees from the group, which included a penalty and mandatory guide fees. The group settled the said fees.
Kibungan Council responds
As the experience with Kibungan’s Tourism Office also went viral, it raised the question if these tourism-associated fees were justifiable or not. In response, the Kibungan Municipal Council, through its 42nd Regular Session held last Oct. 14, 2024, has passed a resolution, to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, concerning the basis, manner, and amount of fees assessed for that adventure ride. The fees that were assessed, the Council said, were not expressly provided in the Kibungan Tourism Code of 2019.
Also, the Kibungan Municipal Council acknowledged that the concerns or issues that arose from the incident were not contemplated or considered when the Kibungan Tourism Code of 2019 was enacted. It is for this reason that the Kibungan Municipal Council requests and advices the Municipal Mayor and the Municipal Treasury Office to cease the mandatory imposition, assessment, and collection of fees, fines, and penalties provided in the said Tourism Code to motorists or travelers passing through or using the newly-opened access road to Brgy. Tacadang.
The council also admitted that the current and prior Tourism Codes of Kibungan were enacted with the aim of improving the trekking and hiking activities in the said town, and not the newly-opened opportunity brought about by motorcycle tourism, thanks to the opening of the new access road to Tacadang.
The Kibungan Municipal Council also said that appropriate sanctions against violators of the town’s Tourism Code can only be issued by the Municipal Mayor or Municipal Treasurer. The Kibungan Municipal Council also thanked Marc Soong’s group “for their understanding and kind-hearted manner in handling their unfortunate experience.”
As a fellow motorcycle enthusiast and adventurer, I really hope that this incident will open the eyes of policymakers, LGUs, and even the Department of Tourism (DOT) so that only a fair and just amount of tourism-related fees will be charged to travelers - which could encourage repeat visits in these beautiful places.
