Ecological fee

I recently came from a trip to Bantayan Island, one of this province's gems. Upon arrival you are subject to scrutiny by the locals who collect P30 as an ecological fee. This is what makes the lines long as you get in - you are asked to input your basic information such as name, contact details, and the place where you will be staying. Without this, you will be paying a fine much bigger than the ecological fee.

True enough, I saw tarpaulins explaining why those who are visitors are obliged to pay the P30. It is in the justification that the travelers get to enjoy that pristine white sands and clear waters. A breakdown was presented and the money paid will go to different sectors, but mostly for the maintenance of the place.

Of course, who am I to complain? And what is P30? If it is worth a weekend to enjoy, unwind, and relax then it is nothing compared to what I get in return. The same goes for everybody, we should not complain when we are asked for fees like these. We are obliged to be stewards of the earth and if we don't give a little to contribute to its beauty, then we don't deserve to enjoy any of it at all. This is what is sad about our country - we complain on too much fees but don't even realize how important these are. Unless of course, we don't see where it goes.

I'm pertaining to corruption where hard-earned money from the local government unit is stolen by the politicians. It is evident when we see substandard facilities and infrastructures yet there are many people who contribute little fees, the budget set aside by a certain town from the province, and their income itself. Then by this time, we have the right to complain about the things that we see. We can demand that our money be returned and whoever the usurper is, he or she should be held accountable for everything.

Ecological fees are just small things that we shell out of our own pockets, but go a long way. If we want progress in our country, then we must put in mind that we should contribute but be on guard as to where this goes. The same applies to all our taxes. If we can just be meticulous then we would have those who plunder pay for what they have stolen. Back when I was a child, I have heard of corruption stories and the same goes for today. What a sad cycle this is.

We just don't know how much has been taken from us while we live our daily lives. Sure, we don't want to be part of any chaos when we tell what we see from hindsight about how our money is spent. But at the bottom of this all is that our character towards our own country should not be apathetic, but proactive for progress to dominate.