As someone who deeply loves the natural beauty of the Philippines, and as a creative who takes so much inspiration from nature, I can’t stay silent or pretend to be unaware of what’s happening to two of our most iconic islands.
I’ve read the news, spoken to locals, and even felt the consequences myself… El Nido is facing a serious water crisis, and Boracay, despite its natural beauty, continues to battle waste management issues just like Bali. These aren’t isolated problems; they reflect the broader struggle between tourism, sustainability, and local livelihoods.
When I was in Boracay last year, I saw that the garbage at the beach had multiplied. I was there in 2021 and 2022, there’s been a huge difference. Post Covid lockdown and its mandated closure showed that the beach was indeed the cleanest I’ve ever seen afterwards. Boracay was insanely beautiful! You’ll rarely see any trash at the beach, now if you stroll from Station 3 to Station 1, the moment you arrive at Station 2, all this trash just glistens against the sunset.
I didn’t want to touch on politics here, but as soon as Duterte stepped out, everyone’s back to their usual ways of abusing the environment. There’s no one that calls people out seriously with consequences on violations. That was probably the best thing about Duterte’s strict leadership, everyone complied.
Now, I am here in El Nido. I’ve been here since April of this year. I was totally drawn to El Nido’s nature and personally, deeply… El Nido is a “clean slate.” Ironic. Zero drama. Zero past life stories lurking in any corner. 0% historical data of disturbing behaviors of situationships and their ex-es with zero boundaries. That’s El Nido. Clean slate. While we bring our thoughts and experiences with us, changing environments is extremely important for me. I know myself too well.
Anyway, I was made aware of the water issues from the very beginning as I was talking to a local about it. Although I only drink mineral or purified water, I had to be a little extra cautious on where I eat or have coffee. I’ve never really stayed in town, I only go there for groceries as that’s where the supermarket is and hang out when I want to take a scenery break from Lio, so I cannot say much about the accommodations here.
But when I went to a restaurant once and I asked if I could drink their purified water, she warned that it might cause some issues if my stomach is sensitive. She said she’s fine drinking that water, but her daughter’s tummy couldn’t handle it. I don’t know how the purified water system is in town right now- but once, from what a local told me, some purified water companies were not so careful with their services. So better just drink off mineral water bottles, to be safer if you come here. Or if you are staying long-term, make sure that you ask reliable locals where to get your basic needs from.
While it’s definitely not safe to swim in El Nido’s town beach or Corong-Corong- beaches around these areas, it’s safe to swim at the beach here in Lio and also at Marimegmeg and Vanilla Beaches if you have time to chill around from island hopping. But keeping yourself updated on environmental concerns is always your best bet wherever you go.
So, yes, I may share photos of sunsets, pristine beaches, and magical coastlines, but that doesn’t mean I’m blind to the reality behind the lens. I am concerned. And I believe that part of truly loving a place means acknowledging its challenges too.
Tourism shouldn’t come at the cost of a community’s basic needs or an island’s future. We can’t keep romanticizing paradise while ignoring the pressure it’s under.
If we keep looking the other way, there may be nothing left to look at.
This is a call for conscious travel, responsible sharing, and being part of the change in any way that you can as a temporary dweller on this earth.
Related organizations I support🌊:
Oceana Philippines
Sungai Watch (Indonesia)
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