CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — A growing dispute over Puerto Galera’s controversial Environmental User’s Fee (EUF) escalated this week after municipal councilor Aristeo “Aries” Atienza was prevented from delivering a privilege speech opposing the policy during a regular session of the Sangguniang Bayan.
Atienza said he intended to use the privilege speech to voice opposition to the P50 EUF being imposed on residents of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro and to call for the restoration of the exemption previously granted to Mindoro residents.
The councilor was reportedly not allowed to deliver his statement on the floor during the August 24 session. He instead released the full text of his intended speech through his official social media account.
The move triggered a heated exchange between Atienza and Vice Mayor Rocky Ilagan, who was presiding over the session. Ilagan questioned previous online posts made by Atienza about the EUF, arguing that portions of the ordinance highlighted by the councilor did not represent the full substance of the measure.
Council votes to continue EUF
Despite the dispute, the Sangguniang Bayan voted to continue implementing the environmental fee ordinance, with a mandatory review set after six months.
Atienza was the only council member who voted against continuing the implementation, according to the Inquirer report.
Following the incident, Atienza asked the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to issue a legal opinion on whether he was properly prevented from delivering his privilege speech and whether the action was consistent with applicable law and parliamentary procedure.
As of August 25, Atienza said he was still waiting for the DILG’s response. Puerto Galera Municipal Administrator Carmela Datiguinoo, meanwhile, said the local government continues to stand by its position to implement the ordinance while remaining open to further discussions.
Why the P50 EUF is controversial
The confrontation comes amid mounting opposition to Municipal Ordinance No. 2025-030, or the Revised Puerto Galera EUF System Ordinance, which was approved on December 11, 2025.
Recent reports show that residents and stakeholders across Mindoro have been calling for the restoration of the exemption for bona fide residents of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro.
Critics argue that charging fellow Mindoreños an environmental fee to enter Puerto Galera could discourage local tourism and create a sense of division within the island. A position paper submitted by concerned Mindoro residents urged the municipal council to reconsider the policy while stressing that they continue to support environmental protection and sustainable tourism.
The opposition has also expanded beyond ordinary residents. The Mangyan Alangan community recently asked Puerto Galera officials to review the P50 fee, saying Indigenous Mindoro residents should not simply be treated as tourists when traveling to another part of their own island.
The group proposed exploring exemptions or special classifications for bona fide Mindoro residents and Indigenous Cultural Communities or Indigenous Peoples visiting Puerto Galera for cultural, educational, community or official purposes.
Puerto Galera says environmental protection is the goal
The EUF is not a new concept in Puerto Galera. According to the Philippine Information Agency, the municipality began collecting an environmental user’s fee in 2004 as a financing mechanism for environmental conservation, waste management and sewage-treatment initiatives.
The current system also uses an electronic pass system intended to improve visitor monitoring and EUF collection. PIA reported that the revised ordinance provides for a P120 environmental fee for tourists, while Puerto Galera residents remain exempt upon presentation of qualifying local identification or documents. Senior citizens, persons with disabilities and students above six years old are also entitled to a 20-percent discount under the reported system.
The dispute involving Atienza, however, centers specifically on the reported P50 charge affecting residents of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, and the push to restore their previous exemption.
The bigger issue: tourism, environment and local residents
The controversy comes at a particularly sensitive time for Puerto Galera, a major tourism destination that has also faced environmental and infrastructure pressures.
Earlier this year, the municipality declared a state of calamity because of a severe water shortage affecting communities across the town. The Philippine Information Agency reported that prolonged dry conditions and the effects of El Niño significantly reduced water sources, prompting authorities to pursue deep-well rehabilitation and other measures to stabilize the water supply.
For supporters of the EUF, environmental protection requires sustainable funding and effective visitor management. Opponents, however, argue that residents of Mindoro should not be treated in the same way as tourists entering the island from outside.
The latest clash inside the Sangguniang Bayan has therefore pushed the issue beyond a simple P50 fee debate. It now raises questions about local legislative procedure, representation, environmental financing and whether Mindoro residents should continue receiving special treatment when visiting Puerto Galera.
For now, the ordinance remains in effect, while the councilor awaits the DILG’s opinion on whether he was properly prevented from delivering his privilege speech.
The next question may be bigger than the P50 fee itself: what will happen if the DILG rules that the councilor’s right to speak was improperly denied?
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