Vendors allegedly sold overpriced seafood to tourists in Barangay Caohagan in Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City. | Futch Anthony Inso
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — The Lapu-Lapu City government, through the Tourism Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission (TCHAC), will revisit the pricing of seafood that was sold to visiting tourists at Barangay Caohagan in Lapu-Lapu City.
Caohagan, an islet barangay in Olango Island, is known as one of the tourist destinations in the city.
Overpriced seafood?
Earlier, netizens reacted in a video post of CDN Digital, after a vendor allegedly overpriced the seafood that he was selling.
A piece of a pugapo alone is already worth P3,000.
Aside from this, they also sold a piece of litik-litik for P700, seashells were sold for P500 per small basin, and sea urchins at P200 for three pieces.
“Ipasara na uy. Pwede man gud magbaligya ana pero di lang tulis ang presyo. Grabe di na sila gabaan ana. Dapat adtuon na sa mayor kay abusar na na sa torista. Yabag naman na,” a netizen commented.
(Close that. They can sell those but these should not be ‘robbery prices.’ They are not afraid of karma. The mayor should go there because this is an abuse to the tourists. That is not the right way.)
Vendors allegedly sold a small basin of seashells at P500 to tourists in Barangay Caohagan. Futch Anthony Inso
Virgin Island similarities?
Some netizens even compared the price of the seafood as similar to what was sold on the Virgin Island of Bohol.
“Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan, kaning namaligya basin taga Virgin Island nibalhin sa Lapu-Lapu haha…the design is very Virgin Island part 2,” another netizen said.
(Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan, the vendor, perhaps, is from Virgin Island and transferred to Lapu-Lapu…the design is very Virgin Island part 2.)
READ: DOT takes action on ‘overpricing’ of seafood in Virgin Island, Bohol
Earlier, the Virgin Island in Bohol went viral, after a group of tourists paid P26,000 for the food that they ordered from a local vendor in the place.
Due to this, John Kristoffer Rafols, tourism officer of Lapu-Lapu City, said that he would coordinate with the Department of Tourism in visiting Caohagan to standardize the pricing of seafood in the barangays.
Rafols admitted that currently, the price of seafood that was sold to tourists was not yet regulated by the city government.
Tourists arrive at Barangay Caohagan in Olango Island to take their needed weekend break. | Futch Anthony Inso
READ: DOT trains Virgin Island vendors after overpricing mess
Sourced from Siquijor
However, he said that the vendors were selling these products at a high price since they were sourcing them from other provinces.
“Ang kanang sa Caohagan nga seafoods dili man gud na ilang own nga gipangkuha. Like naa gud silay source ana ba,” Rafols said.
(The seafood in Caohagan is not their own catch. Like, they have a source for that.)
“Ang ilang supplier usahay from Siquijor, from Bohol. So its either hatdan sila diha or sila mokuha, mo-meet sila halfway,” he added.
(Their supplier sometimes is from Siquijor, from Bohol. So it’s either, someone will deliver to them or they will be the one to get the seafood, they will meet halfway.)
The seafood that the tourists will buy will also be prepared and cooked by the vendors.
Aside from revisiting the pricing of seafood, Rafols said that they would also be implementing the entrance fee on the island worth P75 for foreign tourists and P50 for local tourists.
The city will also investigate reports regarding overpriced coconut that was sold at P180 to P250 a piece.
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