El Nido, Palawan Beach Resorts

El Nido (officially the Municipality of El Nido) is a first class municipality[2] and managed resource protected area[3] in the province of Palawan in the Philippines. It is about 420 kilometers southwest of Manila,[4] and about 238 kilometers northeast of Puerto Princesa, Palawan’s capital.[3]

The municipality, covering a land area of 465.10 square kilometers[3][5] in the northernmost tip of mainland Palawan, is bordered by the Linapacan Strait in the north, the Sulu Sea in the east, and the South China Sea in the west. It is composed of 45 islands and islets,[4] each has its own unique geological formations. The highest peak is at Cadlao Island, towering up to 640 meters[6] above sea level.

Like the rest of Palawan and Sulu, it is part of the Sunda Plate, a plate that is entirely separate from the Philippine Mobile Belt to which the rest of the Philippines belongs. The limestone cliffs here are similar to those that can be found in Ha Long Bay in Vietnam and Guilin in China, as well as Krabi in Thailand, all of which are part of the Eurasian Plate.

According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 30,249 people in 6,311 households in its eighteen barangays. Eighty-five percent of the population are living in the rural barangays, while only fifteen percent of them are in the Población area.[4]


Seal

The municipality seal shows a silhouette of the territory of El Nido inside an armour-shaped picture. The famous marble and limestone cliffs represents the nestling ground of the swiftlets. Behind it is the oil rig, representing the areas within its administrative boundaries that are found to be rich in oil and natural gas such as the Malampaya Sound, which is 50 kilometers[10] within its borders, and the Cadlao Oilfield in Bacuit Bay area.[11] At the bottom of the picture is the ricefield, with the carabao head superimposed at the center, and on the other side, the sea, with the fish and the squid in situated the middle, representing farming and fishing, the two main industries of its people.

Protected Area status

Establishment

In 1984, the then Ministry of Natural Resources issued the Administrative Order No. 518, establishing a 360-square kilometer maritime area in El Nido as a turtle sanctuary. In 1991, the rest of the Bacuit Bay, including its island and islets, was proclaimed by the Philippine government as a marine reserve. A year later, by virtue of Administrative Order No. 14 Series of 1992 of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, this area was expanded even more. In 1998, its status was elevated to that of a protected area, and it included even the terrestrial ecosystem of El Nido and portions of Taytay.[8]

Languages

The main language is Filipino, which is largely based on Tagalog. In addition, many people are very proficient in English, Visayan languages (Visayan, Cebuano, Kinaray-a, Ilonggo, and Waray), and Bicolano. A small but significant percentage of the population speaks or comprehends Cuyonon, the native dialect of the Cuyo Islands and most parts of Palawan.

Economy

The main industries of El Nido are fishing, agriculture and tourism, being a popular diving location. Edible nest-gathering[20] is also an economic activity, although it is relatively seasonal. Coconut, palay,cashew, banana, and mango are its major products.[5]

Transportation

Air

The fastest and most direct way to El Nido is from Manila. The flight takes one hour and fifteen minutes, and lands directly at Lio airport, which is located about 4 kilometers from the Población. There are only two airlines that fly to El Nido, namely South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR) and Island Transvoyager Inc. (ITI)[21] ITI is a charter airline that operates as a sister company to the two main resorts on El Nido. SEAIR is a commercial airline with flights from Manila to El Nido, with a stopover in Busuanga.[22]

Roads

The main roads of El Nido are organized around a set of radial and circumferential roads that radiate and circle in and around the town proper and its rural barangays. Its interconnected roads are connected to the major highway that leads Puerto Princesa City, Palawan's capital. Daily Buses and jeepneys depart at San Jose Terminal in Puerto Princesa for El Nido. Tricycles are used for short-distance trips around the town proper.

The 60 km national road between Taytay and El Nido was rehabilitated, and this has helped boost tourism and business activity in the area.[23]

Seaports and piers

The main port in El Nido, which is under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Ports Authority, is located in Buena Suerte (Zone II), although a number of small and accessible wharfs are being used in other rural barangays. A number of ferry and other sea vessels owned by Atienza Shipping Lines and San Nicholas Shipping Lines have regular trips from Manila to El Nido.

Communication

There are no telephone lines that operate in El Nido. Resorts and other tourist facilities use satellite telephone systems, while majority of the population rely on cellular networks Smart Communications and Globe Telecom. There is a telegraph facility at the El Nido Post Office and a public calling office at the town proper.

Medical Facilities

The government-run Rural Health Unit, manned by a doctor and support medical staff, provides health services for the whole municipality. It is capable of providing health services such as minor surgeries, and diagnosis and treatment of common diseases. Patients requiring more complex medical services are either flown to Manila or Puerto Princesa from El Nido or taken to the Taytay District Hospital, which is about 55 kilometers away. Antipyretic, cold and cough medicines, and other over-the-counter medicines as well as a limited supply of prescription drugs are available in El Nido.

Security

In charge of the overall security of El Nido is the multi-sectoral security network composed of the Philippine Navy, Philippine Air Force, and Philippine Army under the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Command in Puerto Princesa, the Philippine National Police Maritime, the Philippine Coastguard, the Provincial Government, the local government units, members of the local community, and the Palawan Tourism Council.[25]

Being the closest municipality to the protected Malampaya gasfield, El Nido serves as the headquarters of the Philippine security force tasked to supplement the local security force already in place in El Nido. This special security force commands personnel, navy vessels, speedboats, and aircraft. The El Nido Resorts, being one of the top tourist destinations in Asia, also maintains an effective unit of security personnel duly licensed by the Philippine National Police Maritime They are in charge of monitoring the activities within the resort areas, as well as conducting day and night patrols and surveillance activities with in the resorts and nearby islands.[10]



source: wikipedia.org