By I. Inojales | 11:21 AM October 28, 2025
TAGBILARAN CITY — A passenger has expressed disappointment over what he described as an “excessive” baggage fee charged at the Tagbilaran City Port.
In a social media post, Rey Ayento shared that he arrived early at the port to check in a half-sack of rice given by his parents, only to be told by staff at the OceanJet/GlobalPort check-in counter that he needed to pay P1,350 for the baggage — an amount higher than his passenger fare to Dumaguete City.
“I told them I’d rather buy rice there if I have to pay that much,” Ayento wrote. He said he initially thought he only needed to pay for porter services, as was the practice before.
Although he could afford the fee, Ayento decided instead to send the rice via a trucking service through RORO, noting that the experience left him disheartened.
“As a Boholano, I felt sad. It’s true what people have been saying — things have become too expensive in Bohol,” he said, adding that he observed fewer foreign tourists in the port’s pre-departure area compared to previous months.
Ayento appealed to the City Government of Tagbilaran and the Provincial Administrator’s Office to look into the rising costs and tariffs, including those of shipping companies such as OceanJet, to make Bohol more tourism-friendly.
OceanJet has yet to issue a statement regarding the concern.
