I have written about Palawan on a number of occasions and the place still haunts me to this day. The island's beauty, that I consider unforgettable, is also threatened by environmental challenges. Here is another PDI feature story that I have written:
Business traveler in Palawan
I also unearthed some pictures from a working trip to El Nido, Palawan a few years ago. By sharing these photos, may we be reminded of how much the world stands to lose if we fail to take care of earth's gifts.
Overlooking Snake Island, the thin strip of land on the left.
Interesting rock formations abound in El Nido.
We entered caves where remnants from the Neolithic period were found.
We explored the big lagoon with our kayaks. After snorkeling in the area, however, we found the corals in poor condition.
Here is a more complete story that was first published in Appetite Magazine:
Our guide showed us how to crawl inside the small opening of
the Cudugnon Cave. It can be quite
tricky for those with bulky or less athletic figures but in the end, we all
managed to enter the naturally formed limestone cave (perhaps 250 million years
old or so) that is now an archaeological site since human bones and artifacts
from the Neolithic period were discovered there. With a child’s innocent eyes, it is also easy
to imagine the cave as a probable and perfect hiding place from dinosaurs.
Mother Nature provided the main entertainment (no cable and
TV access in your room, of course) for our trip to El Nido, Palawan. It is hard to forget unique experiences such
as the above. Nesting close to nature
offers the weary traveler an opportunity to change pace, if not alter his
life’s direction. For some people, the
experience of earth at such a grand scale offers a message that needs to be
heeded, if not acknowledged at the very least.
Our visit to the big lagoon brought our kayaks to another
magnificent and peaceful experience of nature. We found a hive full of bees, not to mention such clear and clean
waters. It was hard to find the fishes
though and when we snorkeled the area, we discovered why – the corals were
affected too. Our guide explained that
there was a recent outbreak of the crown of thorns starfishes that eat up on
the corals, thus killing them. There are
many theories on the proliferation of such creatures and some have pointed a
finger on dwindling large fish population that eats the starfishes.
El Nido’s Resort Manager Mr. Etienne La’Brooy offers a more
detailed explanation. He said that since
1998, the reefs have been subjected to the El Niño phenomenon, coral bleaching
due to higher water temperatures, typhoons, destructive fishing practices, as
well as the crown of thorns outbreak that has also plagued other reefs around
the world. In this regard, El Nido
Resorts has tried to help in coastal clean-ups, trash picking, waste management
and the like. The resorts
eco-consciousness has won them many awards namely: Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Award (2009),
ASEAN Green Hotel Standard (2008-2009), PATA Green Leaf Award (1997) and
others.
Despite nature’s seeming avenge, Palawan still has much to
offer. You can likewise do almost nothing,
if you prefer.
El Nido Resorts provide their guests with beach club
facilities at the Entalula Beach Club where one can go sailing on a catamaran
or simply picnic and swing on a hammock. For honeymooners, the private dining option is quite popular (many
wedding proposals have also happened at the isolated islet, I was told). It is also available for big functions,
depending on the tide as the island size depends on it (there are other venues
to choose from though). The resort also
takes care of Snake Island, a thin strip of land formed by two opposing
currents. A five-minute hike to the main
island leads to a view deck for a bird’s eye panorama. In the main island, you will find pitcher
plants, those carnivorous plants that eat insects for nutrition. There are ironwood trees said to be the
hardest wood available.
As I sat on a hammock at the El Nido Airport waiting for my
plane ride home, I couldn’t help appreciate the Creator’s superiority and power
made manifest in nature. We have much to
learn and just a short rest cradled in nature’s arms can do wonders for the
soul. As I prepared for take-off, the
19-seater, twin-engine Dornier aircraft buzzed heavily like a thousand bees. My memories of El Nido are akin to the sweet
taste of honey on my lips.
We almost missed the sunset as we prepared for a photo shoot of Chef Laudico's gourmet dishes.
