The Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NOCCI) seeks to reduce scuba diving fees at Apo Island, Dauin town, and similar places in the Visayas, as it will affect the tourism industry.
“We all know that Apo Island is one of the premier ecotourism and diving destinations in the Philippines, and many local and foreign tourists visit the place throughout the year,” Edward Du, NOCCI president, said in an interview with the Philippine News Agency.
Du noted that scuba diving is one of the major tourist draws in Negros Oriental, and increasing Apo Island fees might lead to a decline in the province’s tourism industry.
He said the Negros Oriental Divers Association, a NOCCI member, is apprehensive about the possibility that dive fees at Apo Island will increase as mandated by law and has sought the help of the chamber.
Under Administrative Order 2016-04 of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the minimum national user fee for scuba diving in Philippine protected areas is P800 per person for Filipinos and P1,800 per person for foreigners.
These are just baseline rates, and actual fees vary, depending on the location.
Apo Island is a Protected Landscape and Seascape, declared under the National Integrated Protected Areas System or NIPAS Act, on August 9, 1994, under Presidential Proclamation 438.
It is now managed by a Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) comprising local government units, local communities, non-government organizations, and stakeholders.
Harold Biglete, a scuba diver who operates a dive shop and a dive boat, said that so far, there have been no changes in fees at Apo Island, after concerned individuals raised their apprehension with authorities.
A fee of P300 is charged for each diver, including P100 for entrance and P200 for a whole-day dive, he said.
Other charges set by the PAMB are for snorkelers and for swimming with the turtles, among others, he added.
Du said that NOCCI, alongside other business chambers in the Visayas, recently signed a resolution asking the DENR to reduce the diving fees, not just in Apo Island but also in Malapascua, Cebu and dive destinations in Bohol, among others.
The resolution, finalized on May 20, will be coursed through the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to lobby for their request with the DENR, Du added. (PNA)