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BY BOY RYAN ZABAL
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Friday, May 26, 2017
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KALIBO, Aklan – An “embarrassing” experience of a local government official raised questions on the attitude of jetty port personnel attending to passengers going to and from Boracay Island.
The incident also fueled a discussion during a Sangguniang Bayan (SB) of Malay regular session about a requirement for Boracay and mainland Aklan locals to be spared from additional fees charged to passengers.
SB member Jupiter Aelfred Gallenero stressed the behavior of port staffers when dealing with travellers and residents should be improved.
Gallenero was at the Cagban port, bound for mainland Malay, when he introduced himself to the port staff as a local, but the latter doubted him even though he spoke in the dialect. He then presented his ID.
The municipal councilor said he felt embarrassed.
“Nagpakilala ako na taga-Boracay. Kilala ako ng ibang empleyado sa jetty port,” he said during their session on May 23. “[Pero] tinanong pa niya ako na ‘Taga-Boracay ka talaga, sir?’ Nakaka-insulto, tumatawa pa ang mga empleyado at tinitingnan ka pababa at pataas.”
Charges passengers pay at the Caticlan and Cagban ports were also discussed.
Passengers are given passes to be used on turnstiles before entering the ports’ predeparture area. All passengers are charged with the boat fare.
Tourists (nonlocals) are charged with a P75 environmental fee and a P100 terminal fee at the Caticlan port, and only the terminal fee at the Cagban port.
Locals need not pay these additional fees provided that they present a valid ID proving their residency, according to a provincial ordinance.
If Gallenero did not have his ID with him, the local official would have been charged with the P100 terminal fee.
Meanwhile SB member Nenette Graf said “it is high time to put a local staff from Malay to assist the port staff hired by the provincial government.”
Village councils in Yapak, Manoc-manoc and Balabag in the island are issuing barangay IDs that locals may use in government and private office transactions. But not all barangays in mainland Malay are issuing resident IDs.
The SB said they will invite jetty port administrator Niven Maquirang to their next session to further discuss the “no ID, no entry” policy. (With Aklan Forum Journal/PN)
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