THE income of Oslob town has gradually increased due to the continuous influx of tourists and visitors to the area.
According to the recent Annual Audit Report of the Commission on Audit (COA), the local government has registered P35.3 million in tourism revenue since 2022, following the nation's three-year battle against the Covid-19 outbreak.
This is more than the P3.4 million in tourism-related profits that were generated in 2021, when there were travel restrictions that prevented most people from visiting the area.
The fourth-class municipality's total revenue last year was P265,249,031.3.
The Internal Allotment Revenue (IRA) or its share from the national government, which totaled P149 million, is one of the key contributors.
The well-known whale shark viewing in Barangay Tan-awan had the highest income in the town's tourism industry last year with P31,028,100, an increase from P2,278,210 in 2021.
Sumilon Island came in second with P3,081,870, Tumalog Falls came in third with P1,170,769.50, and Monkey Viewing came in fourth with P67,089.
Even though the municipality's tourism sector has begun to rebound, its income is still smaller than it was prior to the epidemic.
In 2019, whale shark watching activities brought in P120 million for the local government. (ANV, TPT)