DESPITE steady visitor arrivals, tourism stakeholders in Daanbantayan said rising fuel prices and ongoing global conflicts could eventually hurt the local tourism industry if the situation drags on for two months.
During the opening of the “Our Cebu!” tourism exhibition featuring cities and municipalities from the 4th District on Friday, March 13, 2026, SunStar Cebu spoke with tourism stakeholders from Daanbantayan about the industry’s condition following the 6.9-magnitude earthquake, typhoon Tino and the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
Dive operator Jameson Rey Acuna, owner of Divergems Diving Center in Malapascua Island in Daanbantayan, said they have yet to feel the full impact of global tensions, although some booking cancellations have already been recorded days after the conflict abroad began.
“Maybe for now it’s okay, but if it continues like this, our guests may gradually decrease because many of them will eventually return to their home countries,” Acuna said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
Meanwhile, in a separate interview, Daanbantayan Tourism Officer Renlie Castillo said bookings remain strong, mostly from European tourists, but tourism could be affected if ongoing tensions begin to impact their target markets.
“If the situation begins to affect our target market, it is possible that we will also feel the impact,” Castillo said when asked whether the tourism office sees a potential threat from the tensions in the Middle East.
When asked whether the war could affect tourism in Daanbantayan if it lasts for two months, Castillo said bookings remain strong, with data showing that most visitors are Europeans, followed by Asian tourists.
Castillo added that tourists from Germany, Spain and France currently make up the top three nationalities visiting Daanbantayan and represent the town’s primary target market.
“Actually, personally for me as a commuter as well, the effects can already be felt, such as gasoline prices increasing right away. But we want to approach this properly. We just need to stay prepared and that’s where constant communication comes in,” he added in a mix of Cebuano and English.
Stable but worrisome
Acuna said most of their clients are foreign divers, particularly Israelis, along with Singaporeans, Chinese and Europeans. He noted that some guests cancelled their bookings days after the war broke out on Feb. 28.
He added that while the effects remain minimal for now, the situation could worsen if the conflict persists for more than a month.
“If it lasts more than a month, I am sure it will have a devastating effect on our center,” he said.
Aside from global tensions, Acuna said tourism operators are also dealing with rising operating costs due to higher fuel prices.
According to him, diesel prices in Daanbantayan have reportedly increased to around P90 per liter from about P60 previously, making it difficult for businesses to sustain operations without adjusting their service rates.
“That’s quite high, especially since the increase was very abrupt. We cannot just easily raise our prices and the effect on the business is quite huge,” he said as diving needs fuel for pumpboats in going to their dive spots destinations.
Despite these concerns, Acuna said the government has limited control over the war and rising fuel prices, but stressed that constant communication with stakeholders remains important. He added that tourist arrivals in Malapascua remain steady, with some visitors staying longer due to travel disruptions.
“Speaking as a business owner, all the thing that I could ask for is that there’s nothing like ang effect could be salvaged a bit by the LGU (local government unit) but I don’t think they can actually do to stop the price increase,” he said.
Meanwhile, Gov. Pamela Baricuatro said the Provincial Government is looking into ways to support affected sectors, including fisherfolk and the tourism industry. Officials scheduled a meeting to discuss the matter with the Department of Energy and local officials, including League of Municipalities of the Philippines–Cebu chapter president Cesar Suan, on Thursday, March 12
“One of the topics that will be discussed tomorrow is how we can best help these tourism operators,” Baricuatro said during a press conference on Wednesday, March 11, when asked about contingency plans for fisherfolk and tourism workers such as boatmen.
SunStar Cebu sent a message to Suan on Sunday, March 15, seeking comment on plans for fisherfolk and the tourism sector, but he had yet to respond as of press time.
Peak
Fortunately for Daanbantayan, tourism surged in November and December 2025, although arrivals declined in October following the 6.9-magnitude earthquake on Sept. 30.
Tourist arrivals in early 2026 remain strong, according to Castillo.
“Tourist arrivals increased starting November last year. There was a slight decline in October due to challenges, but from November to December the numbers recovered and eventually peaked,” Castillo said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
Amid the tensions in the Middle East, Castillo said the LGU of Daanbantayan has strengthened coordination with tourism stakeholders to ensure the industry remains resilient.
Castillo said the tourism office has been conducting stakeholder consultations and capacity-building initiatives to better understand the needs of tourism operators and frontline workers.
“Ingon ana ang approach sa (That’s the approach of) Daanbantayan. We start with the people,” Castillo said.
Part of the initiative includes training programs for tourism workers, including food sanitation training and capacity-building sessions for boatmen, who are often the first to interact with tourists arriving on the island.
Castillo said these programs aim to improve service quality and ensure tourism establishments remain prepared during disruptions such as typhoons.
Tourism data from the Municipality also show steady visitor arrivals.
However, Castillo said records show that tourism declined in October after the 6.9-magnitude earthquake, but the island later received up to 400 tourists in a single day during peak periods in November and December 2025, about 90 percent of whom were foreigners.
Early this year, Daanbantayan recorded no fewer than 200 visitors daily.
Castillo said European visitors tend to stay longer on the island compared to Asian tourists, who usually visit in larger groups but for shorter periods.
Despite the positive numbers, stakeholders have raised infrastructure concerns on the island.
Acuna said Malapascua currently has no clinic, forcing both residents and tourists to travel to the mainland for medical services.
He said establishing a clinic on the island would benefit both the local community and the tourism sector, noting that thousands of residents live there and the island hosts a steady flow of visitors.
“There are times nga if naay ginagmayng sakit, mutabok pa gyud (when residents must cross to the mainland even for minor illnesses),” he said. / CDF