Negros Oriental Governor Manuel Sagarbarria has raised alarm over the increasing number of complaints regarding the presence of “ticket fixers” at the Dumaguete Port, calling on key maritime and port officials to take immediate and concrete action.
In a letter dated May 16, addressed to acting port manager Rey del Moro, Jr. of the Philippine Ports Authority and Engineer John Lester Pitogo of the Maritime Industry Authority-Dumaguete Extension Office, the governor expressed concern about unauthorized individuals allegedly forcing travelers to purchase tickets through illegal channels.
These fixers reportedly mislead passengers by falsely claiming that vessels are fully booked, only for legitimate seats to remain available through these unauthorized sources.
“This issue has been particularly pronounced for vessels departing from Dumaguete City to other destinations, especially Siquijor and Dipolog,” the letter stated.
The governor emphasized that this practice has led to passengers missing scheduled departures, enduring long wait times, and paying inflated prices for tickets that should have been accessible at standard rates.
He noted that the problem is negatively impacting tourism in the province, as travelers are now choosing to bypass Dumaguete as a transit point.
“Our economic team forecasts an annual loss in tourism revenue due to this problem,” Sagarbarria warned.
Sagarbarria called on port and maritime agencies to submit detailed information about existing measures being implemented to combat the issue, and to outline any additional steps being planned.
Should no sufficient response be made, he warned that he would request the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to hold public hearings and coordinate with local and national lawmakers to launch investigations and draft remedial legislation.
The letter was also furnished to shipping line operators serving Dumaguete Port, the Provincial Tourism Office, the Dumaguete City Mayor’s Office, and Representative Manuel Sagarbarria of the 2nd Congressional District of Negros Oriental./WDJ