BORACAY, Philippines – The local government of Malay, Aklan began to implement a unified ticketing system in Boracay, Saturday, August 17.
Malay Mayor Frolibar Bautista said in a phone interview that the Malay tourism office has released his Executive Order No. 32, which mandates tourists going through the Tabon Port to pay environmental and terminal fees through a Boracay app or through eBoracay.
Foreign tourists are asked to pay P300 for environmental fees, while P100 for domestic tourists. Terminal fees are pegged at P100 each. Residents bearing identification cards with addresses in Aklan are exempted from paying such fees.
“This mandatory payment effective immediately is part of our broader plan for a unified ticketing system for Boracay to ease travel,” Bautista said.
But the rollout of the new system currently faces some issues, among them being the unavailability of the app to IOS users.
The plan to implement the unified ticketing system was discussed during the Boracay-Caticlan Sustainable Development Council last April 2 of this year.
Part of the unified ticketing system plan as well is to integrate the purchase of boat tickets which costs P50 each. Currently, the payment of terminal and environmental fees at the Caticlan is through manual payment where tourists has to queue long lines.
Advisory confusion
The rollout of the new system also coincided with a port change announcement from the Philippine Coast Guard that added confusion.
In June, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) transferred the boat operation from Caticlan to Cagban to Tabo-Tambisaan Port because of the onset of habagat season.
But on August 17, the mayor said that they had received complaints from the tourists because of the unexpected announcement from the PCG announcing that the transfer will be done at the Caticlan port that day instead of the Tabo Port.
Citing the weather forecast from PAGASA, Coast Guard Lieutenant Junior Grade John Lawrence Banzuela said, “With coordination from the provincial government, LGU (local government unit) Malay and the CBTMPC (Caticlan-Boracay Tranport Multi-purpose Cooperative), please be informed that the trips of motorboat from Tabon port-Tambisaan Port will be transferred to Caticlan-Cagban Jetty Port and vice versa, effective August 17 at 6:00 am until further notice.”
The PCG posted the advisory at 10 pm on Friday, August 16.
Banzuela is the Aklan Coast Guard station commander.
Mayor Bautista said that they “did not anticipate the advisory of the PCG.”
“Nevertheless, we want the public to know that paying online of environmental and terminal fees would be implemented if ever the boat operation was transferred to Tabon port, [and] some Malay employees will be stationed in the area to assist,” Bautista added.
The port transfer created confusion in the implementation of the app-based unified ticketing scheme, as there is no order yet mandating the payments at the Caticlan port via the new ticketing system.
The mayor said, “I will be coming up soon with another executive order mandating the payment of environment and terminal fees at the Caticlan Jetty Port to complete the phase of the unified ticketing system,” Bautista added. – Rappler.com