Tuesday, August 28, 2007 Airport terminal fee up, now P200 By Nelson C. Bagaforo and Joy Romares Sevilla
STARTING Tuesday, terminal fee at the Davao International Airport (DIA) will be increased by 500 percent, from P40 to P200 for domestic flights, an airline official said Monday.
Deo Escarrilla, Air Philippines-Davao branch manager, also said terminal fee for international flights also increased, from P500 to P550.
Escarilla said increase in terminal fees in various airports all over the country is mandated by Department Order No. 2007-25 issued by the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC).
At P40, the DIA had been one of the cheapest terminal fees. At P200, it is now charging the same as that of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport domestic travel in Metro Manila.
Meanwhile, an official of the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT) Monday said they are seeking the amendment of City Ordinance No. 110 so as to increase terminal fees charged on bus companies using the Ecoland terminal.
Magno Adalin Jr., special operations officer IV and head of the Davao City Defense and Security Unit (DCDSU) of the DCOTT, also said that starting Tuesday, they will intensify inspections on public utility vehicles to ensure they are paying their respective terminal fees.
Adalin told Sun.Star Davao they cannot impose an increase in terminal fees unless City Ordinance 110 is amended. The ordinance mandates specific fees to be collected for every trip of buses, among others.
"We already have the proposal to be presented this week to Councilor Pilar Braga who is the committee chair for transportation, but we can not say when the proposal will be approved," Adalin said.
He said the DCOTT will again put up checkpoints to check whether buses pay the P25 terminal fee upon its exit from the terminal.
Checkpoints will be set up at the Tefasco area for the north bound buses while another one will be put up in Ulas for south bound buses.
Three DCOTT personnel are tasked to man each checkpoint for 24 hours.
"We are not authorized to collect fees. If we found out na hindi nagbayad ang bus sa (that the bus did not pay at the) terminal, we have to order the driver to return to the terminal and pay the terminal fee," Adalin said.
Adalin said the DCOTT decided to put up its checkpoints anew after they found out that a total of P71,000 a month is lost when the checkpoint was stopped in June 2006.
Adalin only took office in March 2007.
"We decided to have the checkpoint again because we compared the prior data and we learned that P71,000 ang nawawala monthly. DCOTT targets to generate P10 million for this year and as of our July report, 54 percent na ang na-accomplished namin. Hopefully makukuha namin ang (we can reach the) target at the end of the year with the implementation of the checkpoints," Adalin said.
He said a total of P9 million was generated by the DCOTT last year.
Adalin said they will also request a representative from the City Treasurer's Office to also man each checkpoint to collect terminal fees if buses failed to pay it at the terminal.
"In Davao Region, Davao City ang may pinakamababang terminal fee. Sa Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, P100 ang hinihinging terminal fee hindi lang sa paglabas ng bus, kundi P100 rin sa pagpasok ng bus," Adalin said.
In Davao City, baby buses pay P2.50 fee for every trip, P15 for the medium buses, P25 for large buses, and a rent of P6 per square meter for eateries and refreshment parlors inside the terminal.
