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Various speculations arose after videos showing jellyfish stunningly bloom in Corong Corong Beach in El Nido, Palawan have gone viral recently.

However, DENR Undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and Local Government Units (LGU) Concerns Benny Antiporda cleared that this phenomenon is normal especially during the dry season.

'Well, every year talaga nangyayari 'yan kasi there is a place in Palawan wherein nagiging active 'yung reproduction ng jellyfish. Dumarami s'ya and yet because of the sea current, tinatangay s'ya papunta sa Corong Corong Bay dahil cove ito.

"There is nothing unusual about it because every year nangyayri 'yan. Lumalabas talaga 'yan tuwing magtse-change ng temperature ang tubig from December to summer," he explained in a phone interview with GMANetwork.com.

DENR Usec. Antiporda also added that some areas in Corong Corong Beach become no-swimming zone during this time because of the abundance of jellyfish which causes rash and skin irritation brought by its tentacles' microscopic barbed stingers.

"So, 'pag dumating 'yung panahong ito, itong Corong Corong Bay nagiging no swimming zone 'yan. So automatic talaga pinagbabawal ang mga tao do'n mag-swimming d'yan dahil 'yang jellyfish na 'yan kapag dumikit 'yan, ma-i-irritate ang skin mo.

"Natural s'ya pero it's not healthy for the people to swim there, and at the same time, dahil sa lockdown na ito kaya hindi madala sa Puerto Princesa kaya maraming tingnan," he said.

Usually regarded as a potentially harmful species, jellyfish, locally known as labong-labong, is considered as a delicacy in Palawan.

Unfortunately, the industry of gathering and processing of labong-labong in the province was affected because of the month-long Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine brought about by COVID-19 pandemic.

"Edible 'yan, isang delicacy, labong-labong ang tawag nila d'yan. Isang delicacy 'yan na masarap naman.

"Pero, sad to say, hindi makapag-deliver ngayon sa Puerto Princesa kaya walang nagha-harvest ngayon n'yan kaya kung titingnan mo, napakarami talaga," DENR Usec. Antiporda shared.

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