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John Unson - Philstar.com
May 5, 2026 | 5:52pm
The Bangsamoro regional capitol in Cotabato City.
Photo courtesy of Philstar.com / John Unson
COTABATO CITY — Five members of the 80-seat Bangsamoro Parliament have drafted a resolution seeking the suspension of the P10 terminal fee collected by a regional government agency from each passenger of boats operating in the autonomous region.
The five lawmakers, Jet Lim, Jose Lorena and Nabil Tan, all practicing lawyers, and Nuredha Misuari and Haber Asarul, filed the resolution on Monday, May 4, at the Bangsamoro Parliament in Cotabato City, the capital of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Lim, the main proponent of the resolution, told reporters on Tuesday that their proposal, if approved by Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulrauf Macacua, would ease the burden on poor seafarers who have been affected by rising petroleum prices amid the conflict in the Middle East.
The Bangsamoro Ports Management Authority imposes the P10 terminal fee on passengers boarding vessels that berth at seaports under its supervision.
“Our proposal, via a resolution, will not affect the revenue generation of the regional government because the revenues collected from that terminal fee scheme is not really so big,” Lim, also the spokesperson of the Bangsamoro parliament, said.
Lim added that a temporary suspension of the P10 terminal fee would significantly help boat passengers whose earnings are just enough for their daily needs.
“We ought to help our marginalized constituents this time. The effect of the high cost of petroleum products, plaguing the Bangsamoro region, is making life difficult for our low-income constituents,” Lim said.
He said he is thankful to the four co-authors of the resolution who willingly supported his bid for a temporary suspension of the BPMA’s collection of terminal fees in all ports in BARMM.
The BARMM covers the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi, as well as the cities of Lamitan, Marawi, and Cotabato, which is the regional capital.
