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CEBU City Hall said it will look into complaints of visitors about higher-than-usual room mates charged by hotels in Cebu City for the coming Sinulog festival.
But Acting Mayor Michael Rama said the city does not have an ordinance penalizing hotels not accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT).
He said they will investigate this once they resume work this coming Monday, Jan. 5.
Rama said officials will still verify whether room rate increases of certain hotels are reasonable or excessive.
Ricky Ballesteros, executive director of the Sinulog Foundation Inc., said several people already went to their office to ask for help in booking balikbayans and foreign guests who are visiting Cebu City for the Sinulog.
Tourists complained about room rates increased by 30 to 100 percent for the period Jan. 16 to 18 which falls just before the Sinulog grand parade.
Tourism Undersecretary Phineas Alburo said their office only regulates hotels accredited with the DOT but can’t penalize hotels that are not registered with the agency.
Alburo said the Cebu City government can impose sanctions if room rates are disadvantageous to tourists and locals since the city issues business permits.
Councilor Arsenio Pacana said the City Council's tourism committee can “blacklist or take note” of hotels imposing overpriced room rates since there is no existing ordinance on this.
Pacana, who chairs the committee, said hotels which submit the renewal of their accreditation for this year at his office will be issued a warning once they are caught overpricing.
If they continue they will be blacklisted by the Cebu City government, he added.
