The proposal – House Bill 3035 – is authored and being pushed forward by Camiguin Rep. Jurdin Jesus Romualdo to strengthen consumer protection and increase regulatory oversight regarding shipping fares.
It was learned that many Camiguingnons were dismayed and expressed surprise when a shipping company operating in their province unilaterally increased its rates and implemented them immediately without prior notice under the pretext of high fuel prices due to the ongoing war in the Middle East.
According to the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 9295 Rule IV Section 11.2, shipping companies are required to inform MARINA of any subsequent upward rate adjustment two weeks prior to effectivity.
While the said shipping firm indeed posted an announcement through its third party ticketing services regarding the rate increase, it failed to inform MARINA.
This was according to MARINA 10 director Archimedes Joel Monteroso in an exclusive interview March 17.
Furthermore, the said shipping firm already implemented the rate increase on March 9 which is a violation of the two-week grace period.
Thus, MARINA 10 passed on its recommendation to its couunterpart regional office in Central Visayas for the shipping firm to be cited with a show cause order.
Monteroso said that the said shipping firm’s certificate of public convenience was issued in Region 7, thus it falls under the jurisdiction of the MARINA regional office there.
Romualdo pointed out that after two decades of RA 9295 becoming law, the expected benefits of deregulation have not been fully realized in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas such as small island provinces like Camiguin.
“Instead, evidence points to continued fare collusion, limited competition and weak oversight. These problems are exacerbated by the absence of effective mechanisms to review and evaluate the fairness of proposed rate increases,” the congressman stated.
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