DENR to relocate informal settlers in El Nido coasts

The government is now targeting the relocation of informal settlers living along the coasts of El Nido in Palawan in its bid to rehabilitate not only Boracay but all tourism destinations in the country.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu said the local government has now issued a final notice to vacate 24 families who have built houses along Corong Corong Beach in El Nido.

“We are working closely with the local government to ensure that the relocation site for these informal settler families is prepared as soon as possible,” Cimatu said.

The houses of the informal settlers are built on stilts and sit directly above waters of Corong Corong Bay.

According to local DENR officials, the houses do not have toilets and they dispose of their wastes directly into the sea.

“You can smell the stench in that area. These activities have a significant effect to the water quality in the immediate area around the houses. Aside from the fact that they do not have toilets, they are also encroaching on the easement zone, so we hope to move them to a new location soon,” Cimatu said.

“We have learned that some of the families have other homes around El Nido where they can go to. However, for some reason, they chose to live in these informal settlements in the sea. For these families, moving should not be much of a problem,” he added.

In the meantime, Cimatu urged the families to be more responsible for the garbage they spew.

Also, it is not only informal settlers that are encroaching on the three-meter easement or salvage zone in the coasts of El Nido.

Earlier this month, DENR MIMAROPA issued notices to vacate 32 businesses, including resorts and restaurants, which were found to have structures falling inside the easement zone.

The establishments have been given one month to remove structures inside the salvage zone.

Aside from encroachment in easement zones and timberlands, El Nido is also facing concerns about degrading water quality and inadequate sewerage facilities.

These are the three key issues that Task Force El Nido, composed of the DENR, the Environmental Management Bureau, the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, and the El Nido local government, is aiming to solve.

Formed last month, the task force is now inspecting over 200 establishments for compliance with environmental laws and is coordinating with other stakeholders to protect and ensure the sustainability of El Nido as an ecotourism destination.

El Nido is part of the El NidoTaytay Managed Resource Protected Area, a 90,321-hectare key biodiversity area protected under Presidential Proclamantion 32 signed by then president Joseph Estrada in 1998.

It is famous for its pristine blue waters and white sand beaches, lush forests, towering limestone rock formations and caves, as well as the numerous islands surrounding the seas of El Nido.

In a meeting between the Inter-agency task force held last Thursday, the DENR, Department of Tourism and the Department of the Interior and Local Government made a joint recommendation to Malacañang regarding the total closure of Boracay for six months effective April 26, 2018.