A report from the regional office of the Department of Health (DOH) showed that 567 tourists suffered from diarrhea in the northern Palawan town of El Nido in 2022.
According to a post from the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD), the report also confirmed traces of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria in business establishments, water refilling stations, and water distribution system.
Increased concentration of E. coli and coliform count was also observed in Bacuit-El Nido bays, Corong-Corong, and other island destinations.
A few days ago, a traveler from Texas, U.S.A named Fhonz Sy recently posted on social media about an “unfortunate turn of events” that happened when her relatives got sick after eating at a local eatery in El Nido on February 9.
Her relatives were hospitalized after exhibiting symptoms of severe illness, including persistent vomiting and stomachache.
Department of Tourism (DOT) MIMAROPA director Zeny Pallugna convened the Regional Tourism Committee in a meeting on January 30 to discuss public health threats and environmental challenges in El Nido.
Another round of discussion was also held February 8 at the Provincial Capitol together with Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) MIMAROPA Assistant Regional Director Donna Mayor-Gordove, Palawan governor Dennis Socrates.
Representatives from the local government of El Nido, Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff, DENR Environmental Management Bureau (EMB)-Palawan staff, and officials from the DOH MIMAROPA also attended the meeting.
Today February 13, DOT Secretary Maria Esperanza Christina Garcia-Frasco is expected to arrive in the province.
The PCSD Staff said its acting director, Nino Rey Estoya, cautioned stakeholders in El Nido of probable agency measures if fecal coliform levels in the municipal water do not “ease and dip.”
As a governing body, the PCSD may suspend the Strategic Environmental Plan (SEP) clearance of establishments in El Nido with high concentrations of coliform bacteria and those that fail to meet the government’s water quality standards, as well as suspend the issuance of SEP Clearance for new establishments until the concerns are resolved.
The PCSD said the stakeholders unanimously pledged to use their best efforts to solve the town’s public health danger and environmental issues.
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