Palawan: 5 years after I fell in love with this island
Palawan is one of the popular destinations in the Philippines that keeps attracting travellers every year. Condé Nast Travel even gave a brand to it, “The Most Beautiful Island in the World” and have been included in the “top places…”, “must-see destinations…” in different websites. Sure this place has a reputation to uphold and its popularity has brought positive effect not only in the tourism industry but in our economy as a whole.
The first time I went to Palawan was back in 2011. The island wasn’t as popular as it is now. Although there were already quite a number of tourists, it was mostly Filipinos. It was that time when the Underground River in Puerto Princesa was included in the “New 7 Wonders of the World”. Some parts of the island were hard to reach, roads weren’t established yet, and there were still very few restaurants and hotels.
I fell in love with the island the moment I stepped into it. It was 5 years ago and up to this date, it never changed. I knew there was more to offer in this island and that someday it will be known internationally. I had set my mind to come back to this island to see its changes and frankly, I wasn’t even surprise that I was completely right.
Fame has its own advantage and disadvantage as well. Let’s take Boracay as an example. Before, it used to be a very secluded, quiet island in the northwest of Panay. It has its own beauty just like the rest of the islands here. White sand beach, pristine waters. After its discovery, people started to go here, it became popular throughout the world. Different private sectors started to build establishments - hotel, restaurants, bar, malls. Pros - locals get employed. However, the sad part here is that it’s getting overly crowded and overrated that it tend to lose its authenticity. I feel it’s starting to become a city in an island. Let alone the persistent human disturbance to the environment.
Now, going back to Palawan. I know that every situation is different but with all the attention it’s getting, there’s a high probability that this can also happen in Palawan. I’ve seen signs to this: El Nido is a town in the northern part of the island. It’s about 5 hours away from the city. Going there is no longer hard, roads are now cemented; it didn’t have a stable electricity not until last year; bars and restaurants start to reside by the beach. In Puerto Princesa, travel agencies are literally everywhere. Coron is also now accessible via ferry boat from El Nido. Locals can truly benefit from this but irresponsible travellers can also take advantage of it.
On the bright side, the government is doing some drastic measures to preserve these islands. There are environment fees, preservation fees, etc. I know it’s a bit expensive (200php in El Nido) and I’ve heard a lot of tourist complain about it. But the question here, is it really enough? The LGU has done their part. It’s about time we do ours.
There’s no validation to the things that I’ve written. These are just my personal opinions and I’m not saying you guys shouldn’t go to Palawan. I’m also not saying that Boracay is not a good place to go. Both of them are not comparable. They are equally stunning yet differently beautiful. But if we don’t participate in preserving these islands, who knows what could happen. Remember, Nature has its own way of taking revenge.
Keep smiling :)
