Passengers and officials have been alarmed over the management of the Philippine Ports Authority’s (PPA) Tagbilaran City Port, citing substandard facilities, steep fees, and a port manager who has refused to face public scrutiny.
Chief among complaints is the port’s P30 terminal fee — P5 higher than Cebu’s P25 — despite what passengers describe as markedly inferior amenities.
Air conditioning inside the terminal is inadequate, electrical outlets are switched off, device charging is prohibited, and free public Wi-Fi is unavailable.
Passengers also questioned an additional P12 levy collected from every vehicle entering the port, with no clear public accounting of where the funds go.
By comparison, the Cebu port offers a P25 shuttle service for passengers — a convenience Tagbilaran has yet to provide despite collecting more per head.
Complaints extend beyond fees and facilities to passenger flow management.
Travelers aboard Lite Ferry 8, arriving from Cebu, are reportedly required to circle the entire terminal toward the exit — even when the vessel docks near the exit gate — a routing many passengers decry as needlessly burdensome.
The controversy reached the Tagbilaran City Council, which formally invited PPA Tagbilaran Port Manager to address the mounting grievances.
The official did not attend.
The manager’s silence has trigerred sharp criticism from residents, who say it has deepened distrust among Boholanos seeking accountability for the fees they pay.
ASEAN delegates
The PPA’s handling of the port also drew fire from a senior coast guard official after ASEAN delegates and members of the National Organizing Committee were made to fall in line and pay terminal fees upon arriving at Tagbilaran Port.
Philippine Coast Guard Central Visayas Commander Rear Adm. AgapitoBibat disclosed the incident during the regular session of the SangguniangPanlungsod, presided over by Vice Mayor Adam RelsonJala.
Bibat and other officials appeared before the council in response to a separate invitation concerning the port’s controversial 30-minute check-in policy for Oceanjet passengers.
Bibat said the Multi-Agency Coordinating Council had already called out the PPA over the incident and directed the agency to prevent similar occurrences ahead of future ASEAN meetings hosted in Bohol.
The situation, he said, created a security risk for the delegates and reflected poorly on Bohol’s image as an ASEAN summit host.
In response, the coast guard and the MACC recommended establishing a dedicated lane at the port for ASEAN delegates and committee members.
Bibat also told the council that the coast guard had received multiple complaints about the PPA port manager’s practice of refusing to meet with the public or visitors without a prior appointment.