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Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Visitors' fees for Lake Balinsasayao
By Maricar Aranas
VISITORS to Lake Balinsasayao have to pay fees, said Governor George Arnaiz in reaction to questions raised by Sibulan Mayor Antonio Renacia.
The lake is under the supervision of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Renacia raised the question after PAMB started collecting a visitor's fee to people going to the lake.
Arnaiz said the income was necessary to maintain the tourism destination.
The governor explained that PAMB had no money for maintenance purposes.
He explained that the Provincial Government likewise could not impose the fees and that its role was only to develop the lake to promote its tourism potential.
Arnaiz said he shared Sibulan's concern that it could experience what happened to Apo island when PAMB could not pay its hired workers on time.
In practice, the fees collected by PAMB from visitors to natural parks are remitted to the national office and released back to the local board after three to eight months.
The governor said he would request DENR Secretary Mike Defensor to revise the PAMB in a way that local government units could retain 80 percent of the earnings from natural parks.
(October 23, 2005 issue)
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