Collection of fees at the Mayon Resthouse and Mayon Skyline, located in Barangay Buang, Tabaco City, has been suspended following a Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) meeting on August 20, 2025, in Legazpi City. The fees were scheduled to take effect on September 2 under Resolution No. 4, series of 2021, but drew strong opposition from the public.
The suspension stemmed from a request by the Tabaco City government to defer the collection at the Mayon Resthouse and Planetarium, which the city operates. Since the Resthouse, Planetarium, and Skyline are integral parts of the same protected area, the deferment effectively covered all three facilities.
Tabaco City Mayor Rey Bragais secured PAMBโs approval for the suspension during the meeting presided over by Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Bicol Regional Executive Director Francisco Milla. In a Facebook post, Bragais said the move will ensure wider public access to the Mayon Resthouse while helping stimulate local tourism.
Meanwhile, the 2005 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Provincial Government of Albay (PGA) and the DENR is set to be updated into a Special-Use Agreement in Protected Areas (SAPA), in line with recent changes in the law. The PGA intends to enter into its own SAPA with the PAMB to manage the Mayon Skyline Hotel, which falls under its jurisdiction. Tabaco City, for its part, is seeking a separate SAPA for the Mayon Resthouse and Planetarium, including its parking area and other facilities currently under its care.
Bragais outlined initial steps toward formal recognition of the cityโs jurisdiction over these sites, excluding the Mayon Skyline Hotel and park.
As part of the process, the areas managed by Tabaco City within the Mayon Resthouse, Planetarium, and Science Park will be delineated to determine the utilization fee payable by the city. A SAPA will then be drafted and signed, granting Tabaco City the authority to set and collect fees for the Planetarium, subject to approval by the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
Also present at the meeting were Gerardo Colarina, Chief of Staff of 1st District Congresswoman Krisel Lagman; representatives of Albay Governor Noel Rosal and 2nd District Congressman Caloy Loria; Tabaco City Councilors Roy Bon and Ramboy Berces; and Tabaco City legal counsel Atty. William Balayo.| Story by Hannah Franchezka Boragay