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Tourism

El Nido's Water Crisis: A Shared Obligation of Government and Community

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The municipality's waters are severely contaminated with fecal coliform, posing health concerns for both tourists and local communities. According to Czarina Zara Loyola, spokesperson of the Department of Tourism (DOT), the local government unit (LGU) is holding up efforts to address water and waste management concerns. Loyola emphasized that while the DOT relies on collaboration with concerned agencies to implement necessary measures, it does not possess enforcement powers.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources' (DENR) Environmental Management Bureau found excessive fecal contamination in Bacuit Bay, El Nido's outfalls, and tourist destinations in Bacuit Bay. Despite significant efforts made by the Municipal Government of El Nido, which include waste management initiatives, marine protection efforts, and improvements in wastewater treatment capacity, the LGU's implementation still falls short in fully resolving complex concerns.

Key Takeaways:

  • Fecal coliform contamination in El Nido's waters poses health concerns for tourists and local communities.
  • The local government unit (LGU) is holding up efforts to address water and waste management concerns, despite repeated appeals for collaboration from the Department of Tourism (DOT).
  • The Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Environmental Management Bureau found excessive fecal contamination in Bacuit Bay, El Nido's outfalls, and tourist destinations in Bacuit Bay.
  • Only 3 percent of El Nido households are connected to a functioning sewerage treatment plant.
  • Many cases of diarrhea among tourists have been reported online, despite consumption and use of only bottled water.
  • Then Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat threatened to close down the municipality in 2018 due to trash and water quality issues.
  • The LGU was supposed to collaborate with the DOT and Tieza on a Sustainable Tourism Development Project, funded by the Asian Development Bank.

Statistics:

  • Within the latest water sample tests made by the DENR's Environmental Management Bureau from February 18 to June 3, 2025, excessive fecal contamination was found in Bacuit Bay, El Nido's outfalls, and tourist destinations in Bacuit Bay.
  • Only 3 percent of El Nido households are connected to a functioning sewerage treatment plant.
  • Many cases of diarrhea among tourists have been reported online, despite consumption and use of only bottled water.
  • The Sustainable Tourism Development Project, funded by the Asian Development Bank, would have covered Solid Waste Management, Drainage and Urban Design, and Small-Scale Tourism Support Infrastructure.

Sources:

  • Czarina Zara Loyola, spokesperson of the Department of Tourism, as quoted in BusinessMirror.
  • Municipal Government of El Nido, news statement on July 3.
  • Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Environmental Management Bureau, water sample tests from February 18 to June 3, 2025.
  • BusinessMirror.

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