TOURISM stakeholders warn the government against an abrupt closure of Coron and El Nido beaches and urged proper consultations with affected business owners.
“We have already been warning the stakeholders in Coron and El Nido with regard to cleaning up their places in light of what happened in Boracay,” said Tourism Congress of the Philippines president Jose Clemente III.
“We hope that before even thinking of closing the destinations, an assessment be made as to what needs to be done and give the local government units and stakeholders the time to fix them,” he stressed. “If the government embarks on another Boracay-type closure without proper planning, it may end up adversely affecting the tourism industry,” he warned.
The closure of Boracay Island for six months from April 26 this year resulted in an estimated P28 billion in foregone tourism receipts for the year, affecting finances of many establishment owners on the island, as well as costing the Department of Tourism (DOT) its 7.4-million visitor arrivals goal, as Korean arrivals slow down. (See “South Korea visitor market, tops for tourism, softens,” in the BusinessMirror, Oct. 24, 2018.)
Joey Bernardino, group director for sales and marketing of El Nido Resorts, said their group has yet to receive any official statement from the DOT or from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regarding a possible closure of the El Nido area. But he stressed that El Nido Resorts has “always been compliant with the local government’s rules and regulations,” especially regarding the environment.
The company operates resorts in Miniloc Island, Lagen Island, Pangalusian, with its new development Lio Estates in mainland El Nido. “Our resorts and islands have been set up with sustainable tourism in mind,” and underscored that these all have sewerage treatment plants in place. There have been recent inspections of the islands, he said, and “we continue to be open for inspections.”
Bernardino expressed confidence that the government agencies in charge of checking the conditions of El Nido town, its main beach and resorts there will be “looking at compliance; this will depend on the location and resorts grouped in certain areas.” He added that it was important that channels of communication be always open between government and business owners.
He averred that the local government and stakeholders have already taken “positive steps” in addressing problem areas such as banning single-use plastics and PET bottles. “They’ve also started limiting visitors to the Big and Small Lagoons, much like what has been done that at the Underground River” in Puerto Princesa.
On Saturday, President Duterte warned hotels and resorts in Palawan beaches to follow environmental rules and regulations or face closure like that of Boracay. Last September, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat specifically called the attention of El Nido Mayor Nieves Rosento to the waste thrown into the Big and Small Lagoons. The DOT chief personally visited the lagoons and saw people eating in their boats and throwing trash into the lagoon waters. (See, “Spoilers in Paradise,” in the BusinessMirror, Sept. 22, 2018.)
El Nido has been consistently named among the world’s best islands by influential travel publications like Conde Nast Traveller. Visitors in El Nido reached 200,000 in 2017, according to estimates of the municipal government.
Coron, which boasts of the pristine Kayangan Lake, and numerous wrech diving sites, is a consistently mentioned in a number of international travel publications as one of the best destinations in the world.
Though accommodations in Coron town are mostly in the budget category and small boutique hotels, there are luxury accommodations operating in separate islands such as Two Seasons Resort (Bulalacao Island) and the Discovery Leisure Company (Dimaquiat Island). The Henann Group is also constructing a resort in Malcapuya Island.
A resort owner who declined to be identified clarified, however, “Coron town does not have a beach. The number one polluters there are the informal settlers living by the bay. They flush and throw garbage directly to the bay.”
He added, “I’ve heard government officials since 2008 discuss over and over on how to relocate the informal settlers but apparently, still no action.”
Arrivals in Coron reached 178,000 in 2016, according to published reports.
See story: Government poised to shutter Palawan beach resorts
Image credits: Nonie Reyes