MANILA, 22 November 2019: The Philippines is asking for financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to fund rehabilitation efforts in El Nido, and Coron in Palawan, a high ranking official of the Department of Tourism (DOT) told the Philippines News Agency earlier this week.
The request for funding will be processed through the Department of Tourism’s central region office to launch a major rehabilitation of the two destinations.
The official said the assistance would focus on solid waste management as well as the capacity building of local stakeholders to maintain a sustainable environment for the two areas. It is understood the Boracay project will be used as an example of how a waste management system can revitalise a beach resort’s environment.
Projects will also include water supply and human resources training.
El Nido and Coron are two of the country’s top tourist destinations, attracting thousands of foreign visitors annually. Following Boracay’s six-month closure, the national government announced it would go ahead and conduct a similar rehabilitation programme but without closing the destinations.
In El Nido, the Department of the Interior and Local Government last July reported health hazards were present in water samples taken from one of the outfalls in Corong-Corong and Bacuit Bay.
Beach condition have also suffered mainly due to the presence of informal settlers non-enforcement of regulations on environmental protection as well as unregulated dry-docking and mooring activities.
(Source: Philippines News Agency)
