CEBU Gov. Pamela Baricuatro has reduced terminal fees for public utility vehicles (PUVs) using Capitol-operated bus terminals in Cebu City for three months, starting Wednesday, March 25, 2026, to help cushion the impact of rising fuel costs.
Baricuatro announced during a press conference on Wednesday, that the temporary reduction will run until June 24 as part of efforts to ease the financial burden on drivers and operators and prevent fare increases for commuters.
“It’s going to be a big help for them (drivers and operators). With the rising price of fuel, makatabang ni sa ila. We are doing what we can to help them also,” she said.
Under the new rates, terminal fees for buses and minibuses have been lowered from P250 to P200 per entry, while V-hire units will pay P150, down from P200. Taxi terminal fees were also reduced by half, from P20 to P10 per entry.
Baricuatro said the measure aims to provide immediate relief to the transport sector amid increasing fuel prices.
Set by ordinance
The governor added that while she intends to remove terminal fees for taxis entirely, she is currently unable to do so because the rates are set under the Cebu Provincial Revenue Code.
“For the longest time, I [have wanted] to remove the P20 fees for taxis, but this is an ordinance; that is why we cannot touch [it]," she said.
However, Assistant Provincial Administrator Aldwin Empaces said that the Economic Enterprise Council.
“Based on the Revenue Code ordinance, ang gi-authorize ang ECC, the Economic Enterprise Council, for the adjustment of prices, and it is reasonable by the order of the governor kay everyone is experiencing crisis,” he said.
Baricuatro said the three-month implementation will be subject to review, with the possibility of extending the reduced rates depending on its impact.
Lower collections
Ahmed Cuizon, terminal administrator of the Cebu South Bus Terminal and Cebu North Bus Terminal, said the facilities handle an average of 550 bus trips and 61.09 V-hire trips daily, along with about 1,400 taxi trips.
Cuizon acknowledged that the reduced fees may result in lower collections for the Provincial Government but emphasized that the terminals are primarily intended to provide service rather than generate profit.
In a report from SunStar Cebu on Feb. 27, the two provincial buses, both north and south bus terminals, generated P103.40 million in 2025 revenue collection.
In 2025, the income from terminal fees of buses, V-hires and taxis was around P4.5 million monthly.
Given the terminal fee reduction, the projected monthly shortfall for the next three months would be around P1.4 million to P1.5 million.
“We do not, of course, consider the loss kay di maan siya alkansi, minus ra atong collection, but then again, as Guv Pam said, ang atong terminal is primarily to services; it is not for profit,” Cuizon said.
“The terminal fees are just incidental because we have to pay the salaries of employees and buy equipment. But otherwise, dili gyud na para ginansya ang terminal, para gyud na sa serbisyo (The terminal fees are only incidental because we need to pay employees’ salaries and purchase equipment). Otherwise, the terminal is not meant to generate income—it is really for public service," he added. / CDF