(Eagle News) — “Legitimate industry stakeholders” such as hotels and resorts, among others, will suffer the most from cancellation of bookings and reservations in El Nido and Coron, Palawan if they are closed for rehabilitation, thePhilippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry has said.
In a statement, the PCCI said a closure, which the government undertook in Boracay, will “also affect a lot of local livelihoods and jobs.”
According to PCCI, “tourist arrival in El Nido reached 200,000 in 2017 and with the recent closure of Boracay, the figure is much higher this year.”
Instead, the PCCI said that if there was “extreme action” to be taken, the government “must close or heavily fine only those establishments that are proven to have violated environmental codes.”
“PCCI also urges concerned LGUs not to wait for the national government’s intervention but rather be more proactive in identifying and cleaning up their respective illegal waste disposal and sewer issues,” it said.
Earlier, a Department of Environment and Natural Resources official said 22 establishments in violation of environmental laws in Palawan had been closed down.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat has already clarified that there would be no closure of Palawan.
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