Quezon Zigzag Road soon to charge motorists

PAGBILAO, Quezon — The Quezon Zigzag Road, also known as “Bitukang Manok,” will soon charge fees on road users, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) announced yesterday.

Through a resolution passed by the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) of the Quezon Protected Landscape (QPL), all private and government vehicles will be subject to payment of a toll as they cruise along the roadway through the tri-boundary of Atimonan, Pagbilao, and Padre Burgos towns.

DENR Protected Area Supervisor (PASU) Ramil Gutierrez explained that the toll is also an environmental fee for entering the protected area.

The fees are pegged at R20 per vehicle or R500 annually as a one-time payment (issuance of a card for annual passers). Meanwhile, protected area entrance fees are set at R30 for adult and R15 for a student, but free for persons with disability, senior citizens, and children aged below 7.

Gutierrez said the fees shall cover sight-seeing in designated visitor areas, amateur video and photography and use of common facilities, also there are fees to be collected for parking based ranging from R20-R150 depending on types of vehicles and tour guide fees of R500.

Gutierrez told The Manila Bulletin that the toll gates in Pagbilao and Atimonan are already being constructed.