The Negros Island Regional Director of the Department of Environment & Natural Resources, Al Orolfo, met with stakeholders of the dive industry in Negros Oriental last Friday in a Dumaguete hotel to discuss Department Administrative Order 2016-24, imposing a 600 percent increase in dive fees for all divers.
As explained in that meeting, the purpose of the increase is to raise P15 million to cover costs for running Apo Island this 2017 — that’s equivalent to over P41,000 per day, which is definitely much more than the amount needed to pay the Bantay Dagat personnel and the other official expenses of the PAMB.
It is well worth noting that in 2015, the Protected Area Management Board of Apo Island collected P8 million, and last year, collections reached P11 million. Of this amount, 20 percent goes to the national coffers and 80 percent goes back to the Apo Island in terms of projects.
But the stakeholders are puzzled at what actually happens to the money, for you can hardly see any improvement in the services offered to the divers.
Like the stakeholders in the diving industry, the Regional Director himself said he, too, was surprised to learn about the DAO, and so he organized the meeting to get to know the sentiments of the diving stakeholders.
The diving stakeholders made a counter-proposal to the DENR, which he will discuss with the Environment Secretary on Monday.
Until then, the future of the diving industry in Apo island hangs in a balance. The island used to boast of having one of the world’s best dive spots but that had been decimated by the typhoons.
Now, the primary attraction of the island is to swim with the sea turtles.
Many other dive spots in the country can actually offer better underwater views with lower dive fees.
The DENR Administrative Order has prompted many diving stakeholders to reexamine their operations and explore alternatives.
Hopefully, the PAMB of Apo Island can adjust their rates to a more realistic figure, if they have to survive this storm and continue to attract visitors.
