Tourists enjoy kayaking in one of the resorts in Lapu-Lapu City. (CDN FILE)
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — The Lapu-Lapu City government was able to collect more than P80,000 during the first day of the implementation for the collection of environmental fee on Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
This was confirmed by City Councilor Annabeth Cuizon, who authored the ordinance for the collection of the environmental fee.
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Under the ordinance, the environmental fee is collected for those local and foreign tourists engaging in water sports and recreational activities such as island hopping, scuba diving, free diving, banana boat riding, jet skiing, sea-walking, parasailing, kayaking, and other similar activities.
However, the ordinance exempts those engaging in swimming and snorkeling, and similar activities from paying the fee. Lapu-Lapu residents were also exempted from such fee.
Of the amount collected, P34,7000 was collected from the Hilton Port, P4,160 from the Angasil Port, P30,880 from the Maribago Coastway, and P10,780 from the Marigondon Coastway.
With this, Cuizon said that they might be able to immediately implement the different projects that would help protect and conserve the environment.
Among these projects were the installation and maintenance of tourists rest areas in the different ports, comfort rooms, wash rooms, and large trash bins where boatmen could dispose the garbage of island hoppers.
The fund will also be allocated for the garbage trucks assigned in ports for daily collection of garbage.
“Septic tanks para naay labayanan sa human wastes ang mga boatmen once atoa na gyud pabutangan og receptacles ang CR sa mga pumpboats, dili na ta mosugot sa ‘bottomless pit’ -lahos sa dagat ang hugaw,” Cuizon said.
(Septic tanks where the human wastes will be thrown by the boatmen once we will require their CRs in their pumpboats to have receptacles, we will no longer allow the ‘bottomless pit’ — where the wastes will go straight to sea.)
“Lain is the scubasureros, maghire ta. Dili kay magagad sa volunteers para to regularly clean our water. Bantay dagat for illegal fishing. These projects, aside sa Cenro projects that needs funding,” she added.
(Another thing is the scubasureros, we need to hire. We should not depend on volunteers to regularly clean our water. Bantay Dagat for illegal fishing. These projects, aside from the Cenro projects that need funding.)
Cuizon added that eventually, the fund would result in giving back good services to the city’s tourists.
Earlier, it was reported that some tourists who would want to engage in island hopping in Lapu-Lapu City had transferred their bookings in Cordova town, just to avoid paying the environmental fee.
Mark Ramas Ramirez, a pump boat operator, told CDN Digital yesterday that four of his bookings were transferred to Cordova upon the request of his guests.