Recent apprehensions conducted by a “flying squad” of the regional Land Transportation Office have taken a toll on land-based tourist transport service operating as “colorum” or un-accredited with proper agencies concerned. A wife of German national, Florencia Garcia, who operates Flower Beach Resort in coastal Barangay Vergin, Anda town, said her vans making rounds of tour of her visitors in the province have been apprehended recently. The apprehension of her vans which are not accredited with the Department of Tourism (DOT) made her pay fines. Garcia said that she was required by apprehending officers for another unit in addition to her two existing vans to make her qualified and accredited with the DOT. She said that she did not make any other form of ferrying tourists except those staying in her resort. The same sentiment is being expressed by most of the van/bus operators in the province. Most of the vans or tour buses they own appeared to be not qualified on the DOT’s strict set of standards in transport service accreditation. Sources of van/bus operators associations here said that only less than 10% of the total transport service are registered or accredited with agencies concerned.

Ms. Jo R. Cabarrus of the Bohol Tourism Office of the provincial government said in an interview last week that touring visitors using van or coaster or bus owned by resort operators is supposedly not allowed.  This (activity) should be coursed through with the agency or licensed tour or travel operators concerned. Resorts owners are entitled only to ferry their visitors from ports and to their resort facilities and not for them to make tour outside their resort using their service vehicles, such as van or coasters. “No tour operator shall use any motor vehicle while conducting tours or transporting tourists unless such motor vehicle is accredited with the Department and sporting a tourist plate,” thus provides section 4 of the Rules and Regulations governing the Accreditation of Tour Operators , Tourist Transport Operators, Tour Guides and Professional Congress Organizers promulgated pursuant to the provisions of executive Order No. 120 in relation to Republic Act No. 7160, known as The Local Government Code of 1991 on the devolution of the licensing and regulatory authority over certain establishments.

An amount of PhP1,100 per annum as accreditation fee shall be paid after compliance with all the requirements and a certificate of accreditation shall be issued thereafter and another PhP550 as payment for each branch established, based on section 6 of the same rules and regulations signed by then tourism secretary Narzalina Lim as attested by Evelyn B. Pantig, undersecretary for tourism services. The certificate of accreditation “shall be valid for a period of one year from the date of issuance thereof. Based on the DOT’s data, only five tour transport services in Bohol are being listed as accredited with the DOT but all of their accreditations were already expired in 2010. Bohol Tourism Office data bared that tourist transport services are still existing and operating include Association of Bohol United Transport Services Inc. (ABUTSI), Bohol Tourist Services Multi-purpose Cooperative (BTSMPC), Bohol Island Operators and Drivers Multi-purpose Cooperative (BIOMPC), Panglao Island Tourist Transport Cooperative (PITTC) and Panglao Sea Transport Operators (PASEO) and Paddles and Laddles. It was not known if Concon Tourist Transport, Dinorog Tour and Travel, J4 Transport, NF Transport and Tours, and Travel Treats/Tour Services are still operating or recognized by the tourism sector.