Roy Bero, true son of El Nido and quintessential critic of any and all degradation of the town’s environment, posted on Facebook a picture of what looks like a mangrove area now dumped with filling materials for obviously another conversion for commercial purposes. Is this sanctioned by DENR and or authorized by the LGU? I recall I put to task then PENRO Zaldy Cayatoc to explain before the Provincial Board the loss of a lush patch of mangrove on the periphery of the town, in an area which is now teeming with commercial establishments. Unfortunately, we have not heard from him. I do not want to believe that there is a conspiracy of silence to simply accept and embrace anything no matter how gross, in the name of tourism and the almighty cash register.
Deplorable also is the unabated occupation of timberlands in El Nido. I once had the audacity to climb that mountain in Nacpan hoping to reach its top to have a good view of the bay below. To my surprise, an enterprising resident has already fenced off the summit with barb wires complete with a sign that says it is his private property.
Will PENRO Eriberto Saños please look into it?
And while we are at it, did DENR RD Adornado probe his personnel in El Nido for their ” contribution ” to the town’s environmental woes? If nothing is being done, its about time President Duterte should step in and have a few heads roll.
BRIEFLY NOTED: the most recent fire that raged in El Nido’s town center should be a wake-up call for its new officials to upgrade the fire-fighting capability of the LGU. Mayor Edna Lim and her team should now focus on the needs of a once sleepy town now on the cusp of pocket urbanization. Its a new paradigm that calls for sharper leadership skills and broader management depth. For a start, why not spruce up the town and go after unsightly construction sites? These have made the town look more like a “little Tondo” than Palawan’s paradise we are all proud of.
