Tourism Secretary Cristina Garcia-Frasco is unaware of where the rumors originated regarding the potential closure of Coron and El Nido due to their ongoing water issues.
She said that during her meeting on April 11 with Secretary Benjamin Abalos of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), they did not discuss this matter.
“I don’t know the source of such information, and as far as I am aware, from my meeting with the mayors of Coron and El Nido, together with Sec. Abalos of DILG and Sec. Loyzaga of DENR, ang pinag-usapan namin ay how to collaborate with national and local governments in order to focus on certain things that need fast improvement,” Frasco said in an interview with the media during her visit to Tabon Caves Complex in Quezon town, southern Palawan, on Friday, April 12.
Frasco pointed out that significant issues plaguing El Nido and Coron include the sourcing of water, wastewater, and sewage treatment facilities, as well as the need for a sanitary landfill to prevent hazardous waste seepage into water systems.