Tour operators seek review of franchise moratorium

CEBU, Philippines - Tour operators are calling for a thorough review of the moratorium issued by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) on tourist buses as the amended order limits increased accessibility.

"While the DOTC has 'lifted' the moratorium on giving out franchise to tour operators, they are only giving it to brand new vehicles," said Cebu Association of Tour Operators (CATO) past president Alice Queblatin referring to the  DOTC Special Order No. 2011-18, a moratorium concerning the giving of franchise to tourist bus facilities in Cebu.

“What happens to vehicles that are more than five years but are still running on very good condition? Does that mean that these will not be given anymore franchises? We think that government must not be restrictive on this matter but rather open the franchise to all tour buses,” Queblatin said.

Earlier Department of Tourism (DOT-7) regional director Rowena Montecillo has requested the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board 7 (LTFRB-7) to ask for a temporary lift of the tourist buses moratorium, which is meant to compliment the growing number of tourists needing this facility.

Cebu is positioning as the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Exhibitions) destination in the Philippines, and therefore has to be supported with larger number of seating capacity of tourist buses, Montecillo said.  

In April 2011, the DOTC issued D.O. 2011-18 or “An Order Exempting Vehicles For Hire and Tourist Transport Services from the Moratorium on Franchise Issuance.”

In November 2012, the Tourism Congress of the Philippines, created pursuant to Republic Act No. 9593 (“Tourism Act of 2009’), issued a position paper addressed to Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. entitled “Development of a Sustainable Tourist Transport Industry in Support of the Inclusive Tourism Growth Program  of the Aquino Administration,” calling among others further amendment of D.O. 2011-18.

“The industry lauds the issuance of D.O. 2011-18 that exempted tourist transport services from the moratorium. However, we are deeply concerned that this policy was formulated without consultation with the transport operators / stakeholders,” read an excerpt from the position paper of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines.

The Tourism Congress stressed that the transport industry plays a significant role in the seamless travel of visitors “thus government must align policies affecting the tourist transport industry to the over-all goal of the Aquino administration to make tourism every Filipino’s business.” /JOB (FREEMAN)