Moalboal set to collect fee from beachgoers

CEBU, Philippines —  Effective July 1 this year, all beachgoers in Moalboal, specifically in Barangays Basdiot, Tuble and Saavedra will have to pay an environmental user’s fee (EUF) of P25 per person.

This is based on the new “beach goers ordinance” which intends to manage and regulate the coastal tourism areas of the municipality and to help generate revenue for the conservation of the coastal and seawater resources.

The Sangguniang Bayan of Moalboal on April 5, 2021 passed the said ordinance and was approved on April 12, 2021.

The Cebu Provincial Board on May 17, 2021 reviewed and approved the said ordinance.

The ordinance provides that day-use guests will have to register at the Municipal Tourism Office upon arrival, pay P25 for the EUF to get a pass slip and EUF ticket, then present said pass and ticket to all checkpoints going to the beach.

All day-use guests can only stay until 5 p.m. on the beach and only 500 day-use guests are allowed daily on a first-come, first-served basis and there is no online application for the pass slip.

For guests who have booked an accommodation, they will still have to register at the Municipal Tourism Office and present proof of booking confirmation and ID, pay P25 for the EUF to get the pass slip and ticket to present at the checkpoints leading to the accommodation.

Exempted from paying the EUF are all local and foreign residents of the municipality, registered voters of the municipality, all senior citizens, all persons with disabilities (PWDs), children 10 years old and below, persons with other purposes not beach related, and persons who have a confirmed booking for the island hopping and diving activities.

However, these exempted persons must still secure a pass slip and ticket from the tourism office by showing valid ID or proof to avail said exemption as the checkpoints will still check for passes.

Violations of the ordinance which include tampering of the EUF ticket, engaging in shoreline activities without the EUF ticket, fishing and extraction activities within municipal waters, touching of marine life such as coral reefs, vandalism and littering in the areas covered by the ordinance, and intentionally cutting of mooring buoys shall be penalized in the amount of P2,500.

The EUF will be used for the conservation of the coastal and seawater resources and to improve the tourism infrastructure of Moalboal, pay for the additional manpower in the tourism office and to fund for additional EUF ticket printing. — Dheif Daniel Yunting, USC Comm Intern, GMR (FREEMAN)