Travellers to and from Bohol are bracing for sharply higher costs as shipping lines, ferry operators and tourist transport providers raised fares or cut services this week, rippling effects of a worsening global fuel crisis driven by the ongoing war in the Middle East.
The cascade of increases began after the Marine Industry Authority (MARINA) for Central Visayas imposed emergency contingency measures on March 9, 2026 authorizing all sea vessels plying routes in the region to raise fares by up to 20 percent as a temporary fuel surcharge, while also allowing shipping companies to reduce the number of voyages to conserve fuel.
Cokaliong Shipping Lines moved immediately, announcing a 20-percent increase on passenger fares and cargo fees on the same day, citing rising petroleum prices linked to the conflict between the United States and Iran, which has disrupted tanker routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
The company assured the public that none of its routes would be suspended.
Lite Ferries, the Bohol-based shipping company, followed suit, implementing increases on both passenger and cargo rates effective March 11, 2026.
The company did not disclose the extent of the hike.
The maritime disruption extended to fast-craft operator Ocean Jet, which suspended its 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Cebu-Tagbilaran sailings and a 2:40 p.m. Tagbilaran-Siquijor trip from March 9 to 20, attributing the move to rising fuel costs.
The company denied circulating rumours of a P10 fare increase, saying its local office was still awaiting guidance from its central office.
On land, authorities drew a harder line.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) clarified at a March 10 inter-agency task force meeting that no fare increases had been approved for public utility jeepneys and buses in Bohol, and that no petition for a hike had yet been received — offering some relief to daily commuters anxious about the rising cost of travel.
Meanwhile, tourist transport providers, whose rates are not regulated by the LTFRB, announced increases of up to 40 percent following an emergency meeting of the Bohol Confederation of Tourist Transport Providers on March 9, 2026.
The group said existing confirmed bookings would be honoured at old rates, but that new bookings would carry the adjusted fares.
The confederation said the measure was temporary and pledged to consult the Provincial Government of Bohol on its impact on tourism.
The breadth of the increases threatens to put a serious dent in Bohol’s tourism which already carries a reputation for being an expensive destination.
On the ground, the squeeze is already being felt.
Jeepney driver Marlon Gargasola, who plies the Loon-Tagbilaran route, told DYTR radio station that fuel costs had climbed from around P300 to P350 per fill-up — a burden made heavier by thin passenger loads.
“Sometimes I only carry five passengers,” Gargasola said.
Worse may be ahead.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. warned on March 6 of a coming spike in fuel prices, projecting diesel to rise by P17.28 per liter, gasoline by P7.48, and kerosene by up to P32.35 — what observers have described as a potentially historic high.
MARINA said it was also considering fee discounts and the suspension of the annual tonnage fee for shipping companies for 2026, and stated that the fuel surcharge would be lifted once petroleum costs ease.
The authority said the priority for maritime transport in the interim would be the movement of basic commodities.