DOT backing won’t soften fight vs Coron resort

Coron in Palawan province is popular among tourists for its rock formations, white sand beaches and rich marine life. —LYN RILLON

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY—Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo’s recent endorsement of a plan to put up an undersea-themed attraction in Coron town in Palawan province is meeting resistance from local tourism industry players, cold treatment from the local government and caution from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Coron Mayor Gerry Barracoso on Friday said the local government had yet to receive a proposal from Nickelodeon, a US-based television network, detailing the plan that had been endorsed by the Department of Tourism.

“They (project proponents) have not even submitted a plan, wala pa (still nothing), and we haven’t discussed anything yet (in the town council) since they submitted a letter of intent [to invest] last January,” Barracoso said.

Teo had said she had met recently with officials of Viacom International Media Networks, Nickelodeon’s parent company, and announced that the controversial project was pushing through.

Barracoso, however, said local officials had not heard back from the investment group since company representatives visited them early this year to convey their plans to put up the project.

“The Calamianes (Calamian group of islands, including Coron) is a tourist destination because of its natural attractions. We should keep it that way,” Chin Fernandez, a restaurant and hotel manager from Coron, said on her social media page.

Opposition

Civil society groups in Palawan opposed the project and vowed to block its endorsement by local regulatory bodies.

Nickelodeon and its partner, Coral World Park (CWP) Undersea Resorts, had initially announced that it was planning to build an underwater attraction in an area in the Calamianes region but did not identify its specific location.
The facility, according to the company’s earlier press statements, would include an underwater restaurant and high-end accommodations.

Teo, however, clarified that the company was not going to disturb the marine environment. She said the restaurant would be a floating facility with a view of the corals.

The development would be land-based and would not destroy corals, she said.
Coron is one of Palawan’s main tourist draws, featuring attractions including the Coron Island lake tours, the Busuanga wildlife sanctuary, coral and wreck dive sites, and inland trekking adventures.

The project requires the endorsements of the Coron municipal government and the Palawan provincial government and a clearance from Palawan Council for Sustainable Development before it can be granted an environmental compliance certificate by the DENR.

According to Natividad Bernardino, DENR regional director in Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan), her agency still has to see documents related to the resort project.

Bernardino said permits and approval must be secured before construction starts.

“Because of its natural attractions, the construction of the 100-hectare theme park, especially in a small town like Coron, will impact its ecosystem and rich biodiversity. DENR Mimaropa plans to hold consultations with stakeholders to ensure all views are taken into consideration,” Bernardino said.

The environmental activist group Greenpeace asked the government not to rush things.

Vince Cinches, Greenpeace’s oceans campaigner, said Teo should also exercise “due diligence” after she said that the park’s construction would proceed.

“We don’t need to put up that kind of establishment [as] Coron is [by] itself already beautiful,” Cinches said.

According to the provincial government, about a million tourists visit Palawan yearly. Tagged as the country’s “last frontier,” Palawan boasts of pristine beaches, rich marine life and tourist destinations like Puerto Princesa Underground River and the towns of El Nido and Coron.

“But the bigger discussion here is the need for conscious and clear marine wildlife interaction (guidelines),” Cinches said in a telephone interview. —WITH REPORTS FROM MARICAR CINCO