Tragedy of the Commons for El Nido?

The story of El Nido in the Philippines like any other beautiful tourism destination is a tragedy of commons - everybody wants a piece of it, there are winners but a lot more losers.

It is such a beautiful paradise with picturesque limestones cliffs, crystal blue oceans, colorful coral reefs, endless white beaches straight out of Robinson Crusoe expedition - everyone wants to live there forever. When Covid19 struck, there's nothing much they could do since the community depended so much on tourism. The industry that generated so much wealth became standstill.

Tourism is now back after almost two years of lockdown. There was a respite which could have been a chance for El Nido to self-heal and recover from over-tourism. Now the fast decay of El Nido with systemic problems on planning and waste management continues. Everybody wants to benefit from El Nido tourism but not all are pitching in to make it more sustainable, making everyone including tourists responsible.

However, not all is lost. There are small efforts like making some islands off-limits to tourist boats and designating coral reefs and protected areas. So, when you visit El Nido, please do your share in protecting it. Getting the cheapest rate (below 1,200 pesos or 25 euros) for a day island hopping also doesn't help because then you are squeezing the tourism operators that have to pay for the rental of the boats, food, gasoline, guides and other taxes.

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Stories & Photographs by Jofelle Tesorio

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