Expensive food, fuel to drive tourists away

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — Provincial leaders and service providers need to set a compromise to lower the cost of transportation and food to keep the tourists coming to Bohol.

Bohol’s 3rd District Rep. Arthur Yap issued this statement as he cited tourists’ complaint of expensive foods and transportation fuel in the province.

“Governor Edgar Chatto is concerned and we are constantly talking to give attention to this. His kind words and expert hand will be needed to talk with the service providers that we cannot continue pricing our fuel and our food this way. We will drive away the tourists,” said Yap.

Yap said the tourists “might just go to Boracay because the white sands are as beautiful and the food is so cheap. So we will lose the clients to Boracay and to other areas.”

The congressman said he is also asking the provincial board to take up on the issue of the prices of fuel and food in Bohol.

“We have to study that because the prices (of fuel and food) are really prohibitive. We have to really make an audit. If Bohol is serious to become a tourism province, transportation and food should be affordable. So, we have to have a solution,” Yap said.

The provincial government must also assist in increasing food production in Bohol. “On fish alone, I can get fish cheaper in Manila. There, you can eat fish at P120 to P140 a kilo. Here in Bohol, you’ll be lucky if you can get something at P160 to P180. Usually for the quality fish we offer to visitors we have to get it at over P220 a kilo,” said the congressman.

Even native chicken is sold at P300 each. “How can we feed our own people? Our own neighbors, how can they afford P300 for fried native chicken?” he added. (FREEMAN)