IN A move aimed at providing economic relief to tourism stakeholders, the Lapu-Lapu City Government is looking into reducing the P100 environmental fee for local tourists.
This consideration comes after boat operators expressed concerns over a reported drop in Filipino guests availing themselves of island-hopping activities and follows a one-year assessment of the policy’s implementation.
The City has collected over P22 million in revenue since the ordinance’s implementation on May 1, 2024.
Councilor Annabeth Cuizon, chairperson of the committee on finance, told SunStar Cebu on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, that a proposal to lower the environmental fee for local visitors from P100 to P20 is being eyed. This came after boat operators voiced concerns that the current fee might be deterring local tourism. Local officials, in response, are open to the suggestion of lowering the fee.
Cuizon said that in a consultative meeting on May 21, some affected boatmen expressed that the P100 environmental fee may be contributing to the decline in local tourist arrivals.
“Our assessment naturally took into consideration the requests aired by some pumpboat operators to adjust the rate,” she said.
“We believe in being consultative. Maminaw man gyud ta sa mga hingtungdan ining atong mga balaod (We truly listen to the stakeholders when it comes to our laws),” she added.
Request
Congressman-elect Junard “Ahong” Chan also requested the City Council to revise the environmental fee ordinance to address the economic needs of island-hopping and boat operators.
Chan made this pronouncement on his Facebook page on May 22 following the consultative meeting.
He cited that it has been agreed that residents of Lapu-Lapu City will continue to enjoy free environmental fees, with no charges for island hopping within the city’s waters.
For local tourists or Filipino visitors living outside Lapu-Lapu City, the environmental fee will be adjusted to P20. Meanwhile, foreign tourists or foreign nationals will still be charged P100.
Cuizon said the City Council is still in the process of amending the ordinance, which may be taken up for discussion during a regular session scheduled on June 11.
Revenue
Since the ordinance’s implementation, a total of P22,148,524 has been collected from green fees. This revenue is intended to help fund projects proposed by the City Environmental and Natural Resources Office, including the acquisition of additional dump trucks.
According to Cuizon, the projected revenue under the proposed structure will impact funding of environmental programs, as the daily baseline may drop from P60,000 to P19,000.
However, she reiterated that the City has accumulated savings throughout the past year.
“It might affect future projects but the good thing about it is that we have already saved a substantial amount of funds for the past one year of the collection. This amount will readily offset any adverse effect of the proposed adjustment,” said Cuizon.
Prior to the Lapu-Lapu City Council’s approval of the environmental fee ordinance on Dec. 20, 2023, the Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu Inc. (HRRACI) voiced strong opposition.
HRRACI described the fee “hypocritical” and warned of its negative impact on the tourism industry, which was still recovering from the pandemic and typhoon Odette. The association contended that the fee could make the city less competitive with neighboring locations lacking such charges, potentially resulting in fewer reservations, job losses and financial hardship for local enterprises and inhabitants.
Lapu-Lapu City boasts the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, a globally recognized travel hub, alongside numerous international and local high-end resorts. / DPC