The nest

We visited El Nido in Palawan last December. It was my first time there.

We landed on a well-built airport in Lio and drove to the town of El Nido. Then we took a boat from the port to what seemed like another world: filled with old limestone formations and many white-sand, forested islands – lovely and rich in natural resources. The limestone formations were testament to the fact that this was all underwater once upon a time.

From the looks of things, the town of El Nido is booming. Pre-COVID, you would find a bustling resort town for foreigners; now, the locals are enjoying their rich natural heritage.

The “protected area” status accords the area of El Nido a place among the 10 priority sites in the Philippines that need conservation. The area covers a total of 90,321 hectares: 40-percent terrestrial and 60-percent marine. This is a recorded fact.

It was only our first day and it already felt like an awe-inspiring journey to a past life. The sound of the waves was the only semblance of noise we could hear, along with the music of birds. It was an utterly amazing and surreal place. The Caesars would love to vacation here if they could!

The Bourne Legacy was filmed on this site and I heard Bill Gates, Brad Pitt and many others have visited these islands.

The following day, we went island-hopping to savor its wonders. We took a boat to the lagoon and kayaked in what seemed like a world lost in time; a truly spectacular marvel.

El Nido covers about 400 square kilometers of area at the northern tip of Palawan. This first-class municipality consists of 45 islands and islets, all of which are part of the Bacuit Archipelago. El Nido, which translates to “the nest,” owes its name to the fact that it remains an important breeding ground for turtles.

Our country is indeed blessed with rich natural beauty. It is a pity that climate change is taking its toll on our islands, bleaching our coral reefs and, yes, urban development has found its way to this part of the country, resulting in even more environmental losses. I pray it remains as pristine as it is.

I was writing this article when three monkeys passed by to say hello. It reminded me of Kandalama in Sri Lanka when I visited years ago. It’s protected and wild. Turtle sanctuaries remain no-go zones in their islands.

We must protect our wild open areas and keep them secluded. We need to rid them of the evil that is destroying our land. We have tried to save the planet. We were brave, but we failed. It is time our nation wakes up and fights for the environment and all its abundance. We are at tipping point of an ecological disaster. Let us abate the destruction together.

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Antonio Claparols is the president of the Ecological Society of the Philippines.