Flanked by attractive marine reserves, huge pastoral lands, lush mountains and jungles, and sleepy coastal cities,Palawan is an impeccable journey vacation spot for these in search of a refuge and oneness with nature. Dubbed because the “Final Frontier” of the Philippines, Palawan has made its mark on the world map as top-of-the-line islands on the earth, attracting hordes of vacationers. Whereas that is good for the native financial system, the as soon as laidback island is now at risk from irresponsible tourism practices, overdevelopment, overconsumption of pure sources, destruction of the setting, air pollution, and disturbance of wildlife.
Fortunately, there are additionally methods to assist decrease our environmental affect. As vacationers, we may also help contribute to a bigger sustainable tourism motion by accountable tourism practices. What we do throughout our travels immediately is essential in shaping the way forward for tourism.
RESPONSIBLE TOURISM IN PALAWAN
Sustainable tourism and accountable tourism are sometimes used interchangeably, however there’s a distinction between the two phrases. Sustainable tourism refers back to the long-term sustainability of tourism business, the duty is shared amongst tourism stakeholders, corporations, and political leaders. It goals to reduce the unfavorable impacts of tourism exercise whereas conserving sources to keep up their long-term sustainability. Whereas, accountable tourism are the precise actions and techniques that people, companies, tourism stakeholders, and communities, apply to assist decrease the unfavorable affect of their tourism exercise.
(Strolling in Sabang, Puerto Princesa, Palawan)
To be sincere, after I dreamed of touring across the Philippines over a decade in the past, I used to be so targeted on my objective that I failed to think about the footprints I’d depart to the setting. However my current journey to Palawan, helped me perceive extra about sustainable and accountable journey.
Let me share to you my very own expertise in Palawan and a few methods we is usually a accountable traveler in our personal little manner. Allow us to at all times do not forget that the alternatives we make on how we spend our cash throughout our journey can have a constructive or unfavorable affect to households, communities, wildlife, and vacation spot we’re visiting. In spite of everything, if we’re privileged sufficient to journey, we must also be accountable sufficient to honor, take care of, and shield the locations we’re visiting.
1.Plan your journey forward and put together.
I like taking impromptu journeys now and again, it excites me and sometimes leads me to shocking paths. It permits me to embrace my sense of journey and curiosity. There’s one thing about it that teaches me to belief my intestine and dwell within the second. Nevertheless, after I need to save time and I need to journey safely and hassle-free, I desire planning my journey forward. I realized that if I need to journey responsibly, planning forward is important- creating my itinerary, reserving my lodging and excursions upfront, researching concerning the locations, together with its historical past and native cultures. It permits me to journey safely and decrease the injury to pure and cultural sources. So the subsequent time you go on a visit, think about getting ready and planning forward that will help you make knowledgeable choices that may have an incredible affect on the tourism business. You’ll be able to browse my detailed journey guides and itinerary on this weblog that will help you plan your journey.
2.Keep in an eco-friendly lodging.
Supporting eco-friendly accommodations and resorts is one approach to contribute to accountable tourism. I perceive it may be mind-boggling to search out an lodging on your journey, however selecting lodging which have practices that assist shield the setting and actively work with the native communities (e.g. make use of staff from the village or close by village, practice their workers to enhance their expertise, and so forth.), it’s price it. Eco-friendly lodging needs to be rewarded for his or her additional effort.
(Daluyon Seaside and Mountain Resort in Sabang, Puerto Princesa)
Throughout our current journey to Puerto Princesa, we stayed at Daluyon Seaside and Mountain Resort, an award-winning eco-friendly resort blissfully situated in Sabang, Puerto Princesa. What I like about this resort is its effort to cut back its environmental affect, corresponding to offering wooden toothbrushes, ramping up recycling, and utilizing 3 trash cans to encourage visitors to segregate their trash, utilizing reusable cutlery, and dishes, paper straws, water bottles, and utilizing energy-efficient lighting. In addition they encourage visitors to reuse towels and supply indicators to remind visitors to show off the lights and tap when not utilizing, encourage donations to WWF, and so forth. To not point out, the workers are village residents, which is helpful for the group.
Sabang space is an effective base when in Puerto Princesa as a result of it’s inside strolling distance to Sabang Port, the jumping-off level to Puerto Princesa Underground River. It is usually a stone’s throw away from some vacationer spots so we have been simply strolling to Sabang seaside, Sabang Mangrove forest, and the zipline on the seaside to assist decrease the affect on the setting. I did get pleasure from our leisurely stroll because the rugged highway there’s fringed by swaying palm bushes exuding a laid-back, tropical island vibe.
3.Decrease your carbon footprint.
(Balayong Folks’s Park, Baker’s Hill, Sabang Seaside, & Vietnamese Village in Puerto Princesa)
In case you are steadfast to serving to protect the setting, select public transportation as a substitute of renting a automobile, it’ll assist decrease your carbon footprint. Journey time could take longer, however it’s a small sacrifice for Mom Earth.
One other manner to assist cut back our carbon footprint is by incorporating native adventures in your travels, corresponding to, strolling in unexplored corners of your locations and visiting inexperienced parks. Take Balayong Folks’s Park, a brand new city tree park in Puerto Princesa Metropolis. It goals to advertise a greener surrounding within the metropolis and planting endemic bushes corresponding to Nara, Ipil, Kamagong, and so forth. Baker’s Hill is one other green-friendly park in Puerto Princesa. It’s residence to many crops and big ferns. I used to be actually excited to see big staghorn ferns hanging superbly from towering bushes there. In the meantime, the Viet Ville Restaurant in Puerto Princesa, which was residence to 2,000 Vietnamese refugees, stays a group enveloped by greenery and age-old bushes.
4. Dispose your trash correctly.
Don’t you find it irresistible when the place you might be visiting is trash-free? Dispose your trash correctly at any time when touring. Should you can’t discover a trash can, take your trash with you and dispose it when you discover a trash bin. Should you’re mountaineering within the mountains or going island hopping, deliver a reusable or biodegradable trash bag and take your trash with you to the mainland, till you discover a trash bin and dispose correctly.
5.Apply plogging, plalking, and pliking in your travels.
You typically hear the precept “Depart No Hint” when touring, however almost definitely throughout your journeys, you’ll encounter trash. And that’s saddening. We should think about the impacts we depart behind throughout our journey as a result of they may have an effect on the group, water, and wildlife of the locations we’re visiting.
We may also help hold the vacationer vacation spot litter-free when touring by plogging, plalking, or pliking. PLOGGING is a sustainable initiative that originated in Sweden, which mixes working and jogging with selecting up trash. PLALKING is strolling whereas selecting up litter and PLIKING is biking and litter clear up. Let’s make them a brand new pattern in touring!
(Plogging whereas touring)
I’m glad that in my current Palawan journey, I didn’t encounter the standard trash I see when touring. Nevertheless, the seaside is swamped with sargassum (seaweed) each morning. Seaweed like seagrass play a significant position within the ecosystem. However thick mats of floating sargassum also can kill surface-breathing wildlife corresponding to turtles and dolphins as they change into impenetrable and forestall these animals to go to the floor to breathe. They can be trapped in fishing nets making it laborious to catch fish, and will stop fishermen from launching their boats as they get trapped in propellers. Stinking useless seaweed washed up on shores also can appeal to bugs, pose dangers to human well being, and will hinder beach-goers, an financial pillar to many coastal communities. You’ll be able to assist by cleansing up the shore with useless sargassum. Then, the collected useless seaweed could be become plant fertilizers.
6.Help native conservation efforts and the native financial system.
Should you’re having fun with a vacation spot your visiting, why not give again to the native financial system? Spend a portion of your journey cash on native companies.
(Binuatan Creations)
Purchase locally-made items or souvenirs, go to the native market, volunteering in a tree-planting drive, or animal shelters (if there are any). Dine in native eating places and cafes, buy arts and work from native artists, and so forth.
Throughout our journey to Puerto Princesa, we visited Binuatan Creations, a store that manufactures handloom woven baggage, residence decors, placemats, and so forth. from pure grasses and fibers. Should you’re on the lookout for a memento to take residence to your loved ones and associates, that is the place to be. It’s also possible to strive your hand at hand weaving placemats with the steerage of native proficient weavers.
And talking of supporting the native financial system, when selecting tour suppliers, and locations, think about those that work to guard the setting, present monetary advantages and empowerment to native communities and contribute to the conservation of native sources. Hiring native guides which might be educated to supply correct data additionally helps.
(Puerto Princesa Subterranean River Nationwide Park)
Fortunately, we have been capable of expertise the 2 extremely really helpful eco-tourism and community-based tourism locations in Puerto Princesa – the famed Puerto Princesa Underground River and the Sabang Mangrove Forest.
The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River Nationwide Park is a must-visit when in Palawan. This spectacular cave system options jaw-dropping stalactites, stalagmites and a number of other chambers. The park boasts of limestone karst landscapes, well-preserved age-old forest, and diverse wildlife. It’s listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Website and New 7 Wonders of Nature. This protected park is a superb instance of sustainable tourism within the Philippines. The property is roofed underneath the Nationwide Built-in Protected Space System (NIPAS) to make sure its authorized safety and conservation. Puerto Princesa River Nationwide Park’s tourism program goals to reinforce customer’s expertise with nature whereas defending the pure values.
(Sabang Mangrove Forest Tour)
After our journey to the Puerto Princesa Underground River, we additionally skilled the Sabang Mangrove Forest Tour, simply strolling distance from Sabang Wharf. The Sabang Mangrove Forest was based to empower native communities, present extra revenue to residents, foster environmental consciousness, and supply sustainable tourism exercise that minimizes unfavorable affect to the setting. I’ve an in depth blogpost about it (see hyperlink beneath), if you wish to know extra about it.
ALSO READ: SABANG MANGROVE FOREST TOUR
(Sabang Mangrove Forest)
7.Go to agri-tourism farm.
(Yamang Bukid Farm)
We additionally visited Yamang Bukid, an agri-tourism farm. It was based to make farming each sustainable and worthwhile, and assist farmers to be financially unbiased. Curiously, Yamang Bukid helped get rid of unlawful logging actions within the village by reworking former unlawful loggers to farmers. The agritourism farm additionally gives college allowance for the youngsters of their farmers and farm workers, and so they additionally assist highschool and faculty students. Apparently, Yamang Bukid can fund all this as a result of they’ve a worthwhile enterprise manufacturing natural teas and dietary supplements in addition to 2 eating places the place uncooked supplies are organically and ethically sourced from their farm.
(Yamang Bukid Farm in Puerto Princesa)
As somebody who loves crops and gardening, Yamang Bukid is heaven for me. Sadly throughout our go to, we realized that the farm was devastated by Hurricane Odette. In addition they suffered nice loss throughout the pandemic since there have been no vacationers. Yamang Bukid is now ranging from scratch, so if you journey to Puerto Princesa, don’t neglect to drop by, dine in, plant and donate seedlings, and take residence their natural merchandise as souvenirs. Should you’re into farming, you possibly can even take up quick programs in natural farming, vermicomposting, and so forth. This manner, you’ll acquire a brand new expertise and on the identical time assist the farmers and local people.
8.Respect wildlife.
(Palawan Wildlife and Rescue Heart)
Many people will get excited at any time when we encounter wildlife. However we should always not neglect to be respectful to them. Don’t disturb wildlife or crops simply you get a greater look or a greater picture, as a substitute, observe quietly from a distance so that you gained’t scare them. Keep away from becoming a member of giant noisy group excursions, go for smaller tour teams to reduce your affect. Don’t feed, contact, get too shut or decide up wild animals. Feeding animals is fairly frequent within the nation (e.g. feeding fishes throughout snorkeling), however is it typically a nasty thought. Human meals just isn’t heathy for wild animals, and if these animals get accustomed to folks feeding them, they could lose their worry of people and may change into aggressive.
9.Be respectful of native cultures, traditions, and etiquette.
We’re simply guests, due to this fact, let’s be respectful of the native tradition, faith, and traditions. Analysis concerning the gown code, particularly if you’re visiting temples and different spiritual websites, in addition to cultural websites. Observe how the locals gown, and take your cues from them. By no means take offensive footage. Ask permission when taking footage of indigenous folks, and locals typically. Each nation has completely different guidelines for etiquette, a fast Google search ought to provide you with some fundamental data on what is taken into account taboo or impolite in sure nation or locations. Not figuring out these guidelines also can hurt you, so greatest to be ready earlier than your journey. Should you’re uncertain, ask the locals.
10.Convey reusable straw, utensils, water bottle, and so forth.
(Reusable journey necessities)
As talked about above, it’s essential to plan your journey forward, to assist decrease your unfavorable affect to the setting. Planning your journey forward isn’t restricted to creating itineraries, reserving lodging and excursions upfront, it additionally entails planning to lower your plastic utilization throughout your journey. Single-use plastics like water bottle, straw, plastic bag, and so forth. are sometimes the trash that I see throughout my travels. You’ll be able to assist cut back your plastic trash by bringing your individual refillable water container, it can additionally prevent a couple of dollars as a result of as a substitute of shopping for bottled water each time you might be thirsty, you possibly can ask to refill your reusable bottle with filtered water out of your resort, restaurant, and so forth. As a lot as attainable, keep away from utilizing straw, if you really want one, deliver different alternate options corresponding to bamboo, metallic, or paper straw. It’s also possible to assist the setting by eating in as a substitute of taking out your meals. Carrying your individual fabric or jute purchasing bag additionally helps decrease using single-plastic bag. I’m so used to this as a result of in our city, plastic baggage are banned from shops, grocery store, and grocery. And lastly, skip the free travel-size shampoos, soaps, and lotions offered by your resort or resort, as a substitute, deliver your individual toiletries.
By the best way, Division of Tourism has an ongoing marketing campaign known as “KeepTheFunGoing” the place persons are inspired to do easy and enjoyable gamified sustainable challenges corresponding to “zero-waste warrior”, “licensed foot soldier”, “restourism advocate problem”, and “eco staycationer”. For extra details about the challenges and extra methods to be a sustainable vacationer, go to https://philippines.journey/saveourspots
