The municipal government of Bagac in Bataan province has warned tourists against individuals collecting an environmental fee sans official receipts.
The local government, through its tourism office, collects a P40 environmental fee from all tourists entering resorts and other destinations in the municipality, as part of a municipal ordinance implemented in April 2024.
Senior Tourism Operations Officer Leonardo Herbon said that the environmental fee is required for every tourist and valid for four days, covering all attractions within the municipality.
“We have a municipal ordinance here in Bagac, and under that ordinance, all tourists are required to pay a P40 environmental fee. This is a one-time payment valid for four days, and if a tourist stays longer or returns after four days, another P40 will be collected for the next four-day period,” he said.
The municipal tourism office encourages visitors to transact only with personnel in designated collection booths set up in barangays that host tourist attractions.
These booths are manned by uniformed municipal and barangay staff wearing official IDs.
The collection booths also function as tourism information centers for visitors.
Herbon stressed that the booths do not operate 24/7.
In cases where tourists enter attractions directly without passing a collection point, municipal agents conduct random inspections.
If a tourist is found without a valid environmental ticket, they will be required to pay the fee and issued an official receipt and ticket with a serial number.
“Our agents are in proper uniform and carry official IDs. We urge tourists to always ask for these before making any payments. Do not pay anyone who cannot show proper identification, does not issue a ticket, or seems unofficial. Please don’t forget to get your tickets and receipts upon payment. Beware of unauthorized individuals who attempt to collect fees without issuing ,” Herbon said.
For large tour groups on buses, some resorts coordinate directly with the collection booths.
In such cases, tourists are allowed to proceed and pay the fee inside the resort by authorized personnel.
Bagac residents are exempted from the environmental fee.
Senior citizens and persons with disabilities are entitled to a 20 percent discount upon presentation of valid IDs.
Other charges such as entrance fees, parking, and service fees collected by the resorts are not covered by the local government and at the discretion of the resort management.
The P40 collection of environmental fees is aimed to safeguard tourists and preserve the natural beauty of Bagac, the local government stated.