El Nido community rallies to keep its seas clean and pristine

MANILA, Philippines - Recently recognized as one of the most beautiful destinations in the world by CNN and global travel authorities, the municipality of El Nido in Bacuit Bay, Palawan, has not been spared from non-biodegradable trash that make their way into the ocean.

Keenly aware that keeping the ecosystem in Bacuit Bay as pristine as possible is a top priority for the community that thrives on tourism, key organizations including the El Nido municipal government participated in the recent International Coastal Cleanup.

The International Coastal Cleanup is an annual global event held in September. It is focused on removing trash from coastlines and waterways.

According to El Nido mayor Edna G. Lim, “Because tourism is the main driver of growth in the municipality of El Nido, we need to keep our sea and beaches clean. We’re pleased that many organizations participated in this year’s International Coastal Clean-up.” In fact, all 18 barangays simultaneously gathered trash from their beaches and waterways.

A key stakeholder in the area, El Nido Resorts (ENR) pioneered in participating in the global event in the 1990s. ENR is a cluster of eco-resorts named after the islands they are found in the municipality of El Nido within Bacuit Bay.

The three resorts within Bacuit Bay are: Miniloc, Lagen, and Pangulasian. The fourth resort, Apulit, is in the neighboring  municipality of Taytay.

Mariglo Laririt, ENR director for sustainability, disclosed that El Nido Resorts has annually participated in the clean-up and has also enlisted staff and guests to join monthly sessions to rid the beaches and waters of non-biodegradable debris.

“Clean-ups have become a way of life for us. Moreover, almost every cleanup is capped by singing and dancing on the beach – our way of highlighting a serious concern in a positive way. This year, we added to the fun ultimate frisbee, beach volleyball and an adventure race with the El Nido Community”

Explained Laririt, who received the prestigious Tourism for Tomorrow Award last April in Abu Dhabi on behalf of ENR:  â€œAll the seas of the world, not just Bacuit Bay, are getting more and more endangered by pollution. To counter the threats of pollution, we need to further intensify our efforts to get rid of ocean trash.”

Lim further disclosed that on September 21 the municipality passed a no plastics ordinance. “We hope to reduce the amount of non-biodegradable trash in our waters by a significant amount with the enactment of this law.” She also issued Executive Order 029  designating every first Saturday of the month as Coastal Cleanup Day in every barangay.