Guimaras officials oppose proposed Iloilo boat fare hike

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan and Mariela Angella Oladive

Guimaras Gov. Ma. Lucille Nava and the island province’s five mayors have expressed unified opposition to a proposed increase in motorboat fares for trips between Guimaras and Iloilo City.

In a Feb. 13 letter to Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) Region 6 Director Engr. Bernardo Pollo, Nava conveyed the province’s “respectful and firm” opposition to the adjustment, citing its potential impact on daily commuters and vulnerable sectors.

The letter was co-signed by mayors John Edward Gando (Jordan), Samuel Gumarin (Buenavista), Emmanuel Galila (Nueva Valencia), Jimmy Gajo (San Lorenzo), and Luben Vilches (Sibunag).

Rep. Joaquin Carlos Rahman Nava, the province’s lone district representative and the governor’s husband, endorsed the letter in a separate communication dated Feb. 17, received by the MARINA regional office on Feb. 18.

The Guimaras Island Transport Multi-Purpose Cooperative (GITMPC) is seeking to increase the regular fare from PHP 30 to PHP 40, the discounted fare for students, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities from PHP 24 to PHP 32, and the nighttime rate from PHP 30 to PHP 45.

The proposal covers motorized passenger boats, commonly referred to as pump boats or fiber vessels, and does not include larger roll-on/roll-off vessels that transport vehicles and operate on different ports.

“The sea transport route between Guimaras and Iloilo City is not merely optional — it is an essential daily lifeline for our residents, particularly workers, students, small-scale traders, and patients seeking medical services,” Nava wrote.

“The proposed adjustments represent a substantial increase that will disproportionately burden low-income earners and vulnerable sectors,” she added.

“Many Guimarasnons rely on daily sea travel for employment and education in Iloilo City, and even a modest increase in boat fare translates to a meaningful reduction in their already limited household income,” she further said.

Travel time between Iloilo City and Jordan via passenger boats typically takes 15 to 20 minutes, making the route one of the shortest inter-island crossings in Western Visayas.

The provincial government anchored its opposition on Article II, Section 9 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, which mandates the state to promote a just and dynamic social order and free the people from poverty.

It also cited Section 16 of Republic Act 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991, which empowers local government units to promote the general welfare of their constituents.

The province further invoked Republic Act 7394, or the Consumer Act of the Philippines, which protects consumers from inequitable pricing, as well as Republic Act 9994, or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, and Republic Act 10754, or the PWD Law, which safeguard the rights and privileges of vulnerable sectors.

The province argued that increasing the base fare would correspondingly raise the financial burden on senior citizens, students, and persons with disabilities, contrary to the spirit of these social legislations.

In a phone interview, Gando cited the lack of transparency from GITMPC as a key basis for the opposition.

“Most of Jordan residents work and study in [Iloilo] City because of its proximity, so it would be a huge burden to students and minimum wage earners. So, if there would be [a fare hike] of an additional 10 pesos, it would have great effect, because it’s an additional [spending] of 20 pesos [per person, vice versa],” Gando told Daily Guardian.

He also emphasized that GITMPC did not consult with the municipal government on the increase, nor did it present data to justify the proposed adjustment.

“There was no prior public consultation with the municipal government of Jordan. Jordan Wharf is directly under the jurisdiction of the municipal government. We are the ones who issue their business permits and we maintain [the wharf], but there was no courtesy, and we already communicated with them on the abrupt decision for fare adjustments,” he said.

“They weren’t able to establish, in their application, the empirical necessity of increasing that much. They said that it was because of the increases in cost of maintenance, [minimum] wages, [and] fuel prices, but they weren’t able to present data or facts that would warrant the increase,” Gando added.

Gando also questioned GITMPC’s reference to the municipality’s PHP 1 user’s fee per inbound passenger, noting that the municipal government had already reduced docking fees from PHP 30 to PHP 15 per docking — a 50 percent cut.

“I think that was fair enough because we understand that they assumed [the user’s fee], but they also had an advantage because we cut their docking fees by 50 percent,” he said.

“They have never been candid, never been honest [or] sincere in their deal with us. They didn’t even tell us that they would increase because of our impositions. In fact, it was upon our own volition that we cut the landing fees. It’s not part of our negotiating table, for them to increase the fees,” he added.

The provincial government urged MARINA Region 6 to deny or defer the proposed fare adjustment and to conduct a comprehensive review and public consultation to ensure that any approved rate remains just, reasonable, and socially responsive.

The provincial government said it remains open to constructive dialogue with MARINA and the operators to arrive at a fair and sustainable solution that balances operational viability with the protection of public interest.

Daily Guardian reached out to GITMPC for comment but had not received a response as of press time.