Virgin Island in Bohol draws a lot of tourists for its pristine water and white sandbar. Thirteen recent visitors, however, seemed to have been turned off by the food sold by locals after they received their bill.
The seafood, banana and drinks they consumed may be their last feast on Virgin Island as the group of tourists was reportedly charged a whopping P26,100.
A video showing their cooked orders handwritten on a piece of paper with the corresponding prices went viral. The breakdown of the P26,100 meal is as follows: abalone, P2,500; fish sabaw (soup), P1,800; fish kilaw (cooked in vinegar), P3,000; fish sugba (grilled), P2,500; scallops, P3,000; oyster, P3,000; squid, P2,500; baby squid, P1,500; sea urchin, P2,300; soft drinks, P1,300; beer, P1,000; lato (seaweed), P800; and banana cue, P900.
The charge had become controversial despite the boat operator’s justification that they added to the bill their fuel cost in sourcing the food from Ubay town, 120 kilometers away, CNN Philippines reported. It prompted Panglao Mayor Boy Arcay to ban food vendors in the island.
For another group of 13 diners, the bill for their combined orders at a pares (combo meals) restaurant in Antipolo City was only P2,500. While the amount was commensurate to the kind of food served at such a restaurant, photos of the feast went viral after it was posted on social media as. It was a wedding reception for newlyweds Xiong and Geejin Macabuhay, who took care of the meal tab.
It’s rare to spend only P2,500 for a wedding reception, but it was not the only budget-friendly part of the Macabuhay’s nuptial last October. In fact, the entire wedding event only cost the couple P4,779.
The breakdown of their expenses is as follows: P999 for the wedding rings, P390 civil registry fees, P890 certificate of no marriage record and P2,500 for reception. The bride’s secondhand gown was given as a gift by her mom while the city mayor officiated the ceremony for free.
With their savings from the usually costly affair, the Macabuhays said they are well prepared for their family life and rainy days, according to ABS-CBN News.