Talisay City dad says: Anchored ships must pay fees

CEBU, Philippines —  Many ships are anchoring in the seas off Talisay City, but according to Talisay City Councilor Antonio Bacaltos Jr., chairman of the council committee on environment, not one ship pays fees to the city.

He said he is now on the hunt for any legal means to make the ship owners pay.

Bacaltos said he wanted to collect fees from the ship owners and approached the Cebu Port Authority (CPA), but CPA officials allegedly told him that Talisay City cannot do that since only the CPA has the authority to collect anchorage fees.

However, Bacaltos said he discovered that other local government units in Cebu are collecting environmental fees from owners of ships anchored in their area of jurisdiction.

The councilor said he planned to copy the ordinance on the two LGUs. However, when he went back to the CPA, he was warned not to do so since the CPA said they are planning to sue the two LGUs who are allegedly not authorized to collect environmental fees from the ship owners.

Bacaltos said he will not settle for CPA’s opinion saying he believes an LGU has the power to create an ordinance to collect fees from anyone who settles in their area of responsibility.

Some ships anchored off Talisay City have been blamed by the locals for the recent oil spill that happened in Barangay Poblacion. — BRP (FREEMAN)