Tour guide suspended for ‘vulgar’ comments

CEBU, Philippines — A tour guide involved in Badian’s popular canyoneering activity has been suspended for one month after a video showing his alleged inappropriate behavior toward a foreign tourist went viral online.

Badian Tourism Officer Earl Vincent Endab said the guide was sanctioned after the Municipal Tourism Office came across the video involving a foreign vlogger who visited Badian last month.

The video gained wider attention after a viewer posted feedback about the incident, prompting the tourism office to look into the matter and take action.

“Unya naa tay guide nga ang gipanggamit niya is dili siya appropriate for hospitality and iyaha pud actions is dili gud appropriate as guide, kay trained man unta ni sila,” said Endab in a phone interview.

Endab said the incident was treated as a violation of the municipality’s regulations governing the conduct of canyoneering guides.

“Mao nga ni-decide gud mi og take og prompt action kay naa man tay ordinance ani nga if conduct unbecoming siya, ma-suspended ang tour guides,” he said.

Under Municipal Ordinance No. 18-2026, or the Revised Badian Kawasan Canyoneering Ordinance of 2026, acts of discourtesy, harassment, extortion and other forms of “conduct of unbecoming” are among the prohibited acts in the operation of the Badian Kawasan Canyoneering Adventure.

Endab said the guide was imposed a one-month suspension, along with a ?1,000 fine and community service, as part of the sanctions for the violation.

“Gi aksyonan g’yud namo siya nga e-suspend ang guide. Based sa among ordinance, naa siyay one-month suspension tapos naa pud siyay bayrunon and also community service,” he shared.

The guide, who has been working for about two years, also issued a public apology to the foreign tourist through his Facebook account.

In his apology, the guide, identified as James Agravante, acknowledged that some of the words he used during his interaction with the tourist were inappropriate and may have caused offense.

He said he regretted his actions and recognized that guests should be treated with respect, patience, and professionalism.

"Dili nako gusto nga ang akong nasulti mahimong hinungdan nga dili maayo ang imong kasinatian. Nagbasol g’yud ko sa akong nabuhat ug akong gamiton kini nga leksyon aron mas mahimong maampingon ko sa akong mga pulong ug batasan sa umaabot," part of his apology read.

Endab said the incident should not be taken as a reflection of all tour guides working in Badian, noting that the local government acted on the complaint precisely to ensure that violations are addressed.

The tourism officer said the LGU also wants to prevent the incident from resulting in the public generalizing Badian’s guides as “bastos.”

“Dili man nato ma-control ang kada tao. Do not be discouraged of the act of one person, atoa lang kay naa man tay appropriate actions nga gibuhat sa government,” Endab said.

He said the municipality remains focused on maintaining Badian as a tourism destination and urged tourists to report inappropriate behavior by guides through the proper channels.

“We want the public to help us if there’s any untoward actions sa tour guides, mo-direct sila’g report sa proper na channel,” he said.

Rules on guide conduct

The ordinance requires canyoneering guides in Badian to be accredited by the Municipal Tourism Office, be at least 18 years old, possess good moral character, and undergo mandatory annual training and seminars on tourism, risk reduction, and disaster management policies.

The measure also requires guides to maintain personal cleanliness and hygiene and have comprehensible communication skills in English and Filipino.

For canyoneering operators, the ordinance further requires them to have “well-behaved, competent, skilled, trained and experienced” guides and to conduct regular necessary training for their personnel.

Endab said the LGU plans to continue enforcing these requirements and regularly monitoring the guides, although their actions cannot always be directly controlled while they are out in the field.

He also pointed to the feedback mechanisms available to tourists, which the tourism office uses to monitor the experiences of visitors during their canyoneering activities.

“Ang amo lang pud nga feedback sa guests and operators nga tabangan pud ang atong industry,” Endab said.

He added that maintaining the reputation of Badian’s tourism industry is not solely the responsibility of the local government but also of residents, operators, guides and other stakeholders.

“Dili ra man ang government ang pagpanindot sa atong destination, even ang locals/stakeholders kay part pud sila og paghatag og tarong nga imahe sa atong destination,” the tourism officer noted.

Badian has around 1,600 trained canyoneering guides, while about 1,000 are accredited, according to Endab.

He said the suspended guide is not the first guide to face sanctions, as the municipality has previously suspended guides for various incidents, with complaints involving conduct unbecoming among the more common cases based on tourist feedback.

Endab said the LGU will continue with strict enforcement of its canyoneering ordinance and monitoring of guides to ensure that visitors receive safe and proper service.

“Badian is doing its best to maintaining a good and reputable destination not only in the country but internationally,” he emphasized. — (FREEMAN)