FOR Brian Savellon, a decade-long operator of travel and tour vans in Cebu, October was supposed to mark the start of a busy season. His calendar was filled with bookings for island-hopping trips in Moalboal, whale shark watching in Oslob and Cebu Safari in Carmen.
Then the magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Cebu on the night of Sept. 30, 2025.
“We were happy because October was approaching, but then Sept. 30 came with an earthquake,” Savellon said in Cebuano, recalling how the tremor disrupted what could have been one of his best months.
While the Department of Tourism declared Cebu safe for tourists, Savellon said many travelers canceled due to damage to accommodations and restrictions on heritage sites in Cebu City. His city tours usually include stops in Fort San Pedro, Magellan’s Cross, the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño and Sugbo Museum, but post-quake inspections temporarily halted visits.
Savellon, who owns eight vans, acknowledged the quake led to a drastic drop in bookings. To keep afloat, he relies on a side business of buying and selling second-hand cars. He continues paying his drivers through a sharing system — 70 percent of van rental goes to him, 30 percent to the driver after expenses. When there are no tours, drivers receive a P200 daily allowance.
“We transport operators don’t have cash on hand. Some have rent-to-own arrangements, yearly rentals, others have bank loans,” Savellon said. “We have expenses — we’re at the stage now where we’re below breaking even.”
The tourism slump extends beyond Savellon’s operations. Canyoneering activities in Badian were affected by misinformation that Kawasan Falls had been deemed unsafe. The Badian local government issued statements refuting the claims, and the canyoneering trail remained safe after inspections.
Savellon said November bookings are strong but mostly for van rentals unrelated to tourism. The rest of the peak months remain slow.
Despite the challenges, he remains optimistic that Cebu’s tourism will bounce back soon.
“If customers are satisfied with your service, the market will always market itself,” he said. “What happened was a natural occurrence — it was not caused by corruption or anything else.” / CDF