ILOILO City – Taxi operators servicing the Iloilo International Airport defended the controversial ₱50 additional charge imposed on some passengers, saying the fee is neither illegal nor arbitrary but anchored on long-standing Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) rules on excess baggage.
The explanation came after Iloilo City mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu sought a meeting with the Association of Taxi Operators of Panay, Inc. (ATOP) and transport network companies following passenger complaints over alleged unauthorized charges at the airport.
ATOP chairperson Perfecto Yap said the ₱50 charge applies only when a passenger’s baggage exceeds 10 kilograms, as allowed under LTFRB Memorandum Circular No. 2011-04, which authorizes operators to collect baggage fees based on excess weight.
Item 21 of the circular, issued on May 25, 2011 — nearly 15 years ago — states: “Every passenger is entitled to a free carriage of 10 kilograms of baggage and shall pay the corresponding freightage for excess weight.” It, however, is silent about the rate of charge.
The issue resurfaced last week after a newly arrived traveler posted on Facebook that he was surprised to be asked to pay an additional ₱50 by a taxi driver at the airport, with no explanation given. He questioned whether the charge was standard practice in Iloilo, noting that in other airports passengers pay only the metered taxi fare.
According to Yap, “The ₱50 is paid only if the passenger’s baggage exceeds 10 kilos. This is not ATOP’s policy; this is an LTFRB policy stated in Memorandum Circular 2011-04, which says that if your baggage exceeds 10 kilos, you can be charged from ₱7 to ₱27 per kilogram.”
ATOP, he said, opted to simplify the computation to avoid disputes and delays.
“We made it a flat ₱50 because almost always, when passengers have baggage, it exceeds by two, three, even five kilos or more than 10 kilos,” Yap said in an interview with DYOK Aksyon Radyo Iloilo.
Yap also clarified that the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) does not collect the ₱50 fee from taxi operators.
“CAAP does not charge us ₱50. We pay a monthly concession fee for the area that we use for queuing or parking while waiting for passengers,” Yap explained.
He stressed that no additional fee is collected if a passenger’s baggage does not exceed the 10-kilogram limit.
“That is the only charge we collect—when baggage exceeds 10 kilos. If not, there are no additional charges. This is stated in our franchise and its attachments,” Yap added.
Yap said ATOP had faced similar complaints in previous years, prompting the group to conduct information drives and media interviews to explain the policy. He also said he is ready to attend the meeting called by Mayor Treñas-Chu once a formal invitation is received.
Over the weekend, Treñas-Chu confirmed that complaints had reached her office regarding the ₱50 charge imposed on passengers taking taxis or app-based transport from the airport.
“It has come to my attention the complaints regarding the collection of an additional ₱50 from passengers coming from Iloilo International Airport—whether by taxi or app-based transport,” Treñas-Chu said.
She said that as chairperson of the Economic Development Committee of the Regional Development Council, she immediately coordinated with Grab and ATOP and ordered a formal meeting to clarify the issue.
The mayor said CAAP and the LTFRB will also be called in to ensure that policies are clearly explained and properly enforced.
“We will ensure that this issue is addressed decisively, with clear accountability and corrective measures, to protect the public and the name of Iloilo,” Treñas-Chu said./PN
