PALAWAN,
PHILIPPINES – El Nido together with Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR) started imposing a carrying capacity on its 3 most commendable
tourist attractions after recognizing the overcrowding and habitat disturbance
issues in the Big and Small Lagoons.
Last
December 01, 2018 – the implementation of the carrying capacity policy for Big
and Small Lagoons was finally effective after a series of meetings, dry runs, and
consultations. Both lagoons will become premium tours and can no longer be
visited on the same day.
As a
responsible tourist, here are the guidelines that you MUST KNOW and FOLLOW in order
to make a difference:
Small lagoon
1. The
entry to the small lagoon is limited only to 40 persons on 20 kayaks for every
30 minutes while entry to the big lagoon is limited only to 80 tourists on a
total of 40 kayaks for every one hour and 30 minutes.
Big Lagoon
2. Due
to the limited availabilities, advance booking will be essential and tourists
must secure first a permit from DENR’s Protected Area Management Office (PAMO).
From there, they will be given small flags that indicate their batch or travel
time.
1 3. An
environmental user fee of Php 200.00 will be collected from each tourist for
either Big Lagoon or Small Lagoon. Make sure to also bring a valid
identification card as you’ll need it for registration.
4. Other
guidelines include the following:
All
guests entering the above lagoons must wear life jackets
No
cooking/ grilling, washing of utensils, or throwing food scraps/ leftover foods
in the water
No
smoking or alcoholic liquors
No
stepping on Corals
No
loud sound or music inside the lagoons
No
cliff diving or other activities except those allowed by PAMB
All
El Nido tours are still plastic-free and plastic bottles are prohibited so
guests must bring their own tumbler.
TIME SLOTS AND FLAG CODE
|
COLOR AND FLAG
NUMBER
|
PERIOD
|
|
BIG LAGOON
|
|
|
GREEN #1
|
7:00 AM – 8:30 AM
|
|
GREEN #2
|
8:30 AM – 10:00 AM
|
|
GREEN #3
|
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
|
|
GREEN #4
|
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
|
|
GREEN #5
|
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
|
|
GREEN #6
|
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
|
|
SMALL LAGOON
|
|
|
YELLOW #1
|
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
|
|
YELLOW #2
|
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
|
|
YELLOW #3
|
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
|
|
YELLOW #4
|
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
|
|
YELLOW #5
|
11:00 AM – 12:00 NN
|
|
YELLOW #6
|
12:00 NN – 1:00PM
|
|
YELLOW #7
|
1:00 PM –
2:00 PM
|
|
YELLOW #8
|
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
|
|
YELLOW #9
|
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
|
Each lagoon is guarded by DENR park rangers and coast guard personnel who ensure that the policies are strictly followed. Though it might cause some inconvenience at first, this new policy is expected to lower the risk of environmental deterioration and also part of the rehabilitation process of El Nido.
Reference: Department of
Environment and Natural Resources
For
more information, visit www.raksotravel.com or call 6519000.
***
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