Philippines Tourism Killers – taxes, fees and this

Some Philippines Tourism Killers are well known NAIA delays, public transportation network, not sailing ferries and cancelled flights. But there is one big killer around: MISSING SERVICE!

Tiwi Bonachita posted an interesting article on Facebook. Tiwi writes:

My God, Pag sulod palang nimo sa passenger terminal sa PPA sa Balingoan port motabo na nimo ang ka baho sa comfort room. Attention PPA asa naman among gibayad nga 15pesos kada pasahero. E maintain ninyo ang kalimpyo sa terminal pwera gaba mo.

Translation: My God , if you are actually within the passenger terminal of  Balingoan port  you smell the comfort room [from far]. Attention: we paid a terminal fee of 15 pesos per passenger . But maintain the cleanliness of the terminal is not action but empty words.

(All photos are courtesy of Tiwi Bonachita)

Philippines Tourism Killers

Killer #1: Tickets and Fees

Almost anywhere you have to queue up first to buy a ticket and then to pay the fees. Let’s have a look at Balingoan port. Balingoan port is the main gateway for the paradise island of Camiguin. When you arrive at the port by bus or van, you see some wooden huts with the logos of the ferry companies. Some companies display their schedules and others do not. First thing you will need to know is which ferry sails next. Then you buy your ticket.

With the ticket you go to the terminal fee table about 30 meters away. There you pay the passenger terminal fee. This fee has raised from 12 pesos to 15 pesos on August 30, 2016. You cannot yet go into the passenger terminal building. There is another table, where you have to pay a 2 pesos “environmental fee”. And yes, all these fees are subject to VAT, the Value Added Tax.

Killer #2: Service and Cleanliness

Now you are inside the air conditioned terminal building and you smell it. What? The CR! CR means Comfort Room (toilet or powder room). The room is there but comfort is far away! Fortunately the internet cannot yet transmit odours. What you encounter is this:

A dirty stall for 15 pesos only.

The toilets are almost everywhere in the Philippines in the same shameful conditions. Even in malls and supermarkets you encounter these HR – Horror Rooms. But at least you do not have to pay a fee for their usage.

Philippines Tourism Killers

The number 1, the taxes and fees and missing services and information have their own page on our website. Have a look: Taxes & Fees

The number 2, service and cleanliness are a rather cultural problem. CRs, comfort rooms, toilets, seem to be the least loved and least maintained rooms all over the country. OK, they were imported by the Spaniards and later by the Americans. But local people seem still to prefer the bush behind the house or do they not like these smelly and dirty places?

There are more of these tourism killers. Currently the political turmoil and the terrorist bombings prevent foreigners to relax in our wonderful country. Silent Gardens does not comment the Philippines government and politics.  Long live the Fee-lippines!

[GARD]