Designate Sambiray Port for mainland Malay guided tours

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

Tourists on vacation are fed up for shelling out fees when they returned to Boracay Island from mainland Malay, Aklan on guided tours. 

To address the resentment, Sambiray Port will be the designated unloading and loading port for tourists and guests on tour in Malay, Aklan, the Sangguniang Bayan members proposed. 

The port in Barangay Sambiray will cater travelers who want to explore hidden natural wonders in mainland Malay.

Sangguniang Bayan member Maylynn Aguirre-Graf said using Sambiray Port as entry and exit point will remedy the clamor of foreign tourists and locals being charged of terminal and environmental fees at full cost when they re-enter the Caticlan port after their off-Boracay adventures in mainland Malay.

Foreigners and non-local residents are charged environmental fee of P75 and terminal fee of P100 in Caticlan jetty port terminal and another P100 terminal fee in Cagban port in Boracay.  

Town councilor Jupiter Aelred Gallenero also echoed his sentiments that holidaymakers heading to mainland Boracay are starting to complain for paying locally collected fees when they are using Caticlan jetty port as entry point to Boracay Island.  

The practice of paying ‘extra amounts’, they said, are driving away the tourists especially for budget travelers who will pay more for their experience. 

Aside from Boracay, local and foreign travelers may avail of guided tours to visit Nabaoy River, Malay Eco Park, Motag Living Museum, Agnaga Falls, Nagata Waterfalls in mainland Malay to name just a handful. 

Sambiray port located in adjoining Caticlan jetty port also serves as loading area for cargoes. These cargoes are unloaded in Manoc Manoc cargo port in Boracay Island.