DENR to conduct thorough inquiry of planned Nickelodeon theme park –Cimatu

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu on Thursday said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will conduct a thorough inquiry of the proposed construction of Nickelodeon's resort and theme park in Coron, Palawan.

"The Department, in consultation with the key stakeholders shall conduct a thorough inquiry regarding the proposed project to ensure that ecological, social, economic, and human interests are factored in into the project's evaluation once received," Cimatu said in a statement.

Cimatu however clarified that the DENR—at all levels, including the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD)—has not yet received any formal communication from any project proponent about the proposed building of a theme park in the island province.

"We are, however, trying to find out the specifics of this supposed project even as we await the formal receipt of the said proposal," Cimatu said.

He noted that "in an anticpatory and participatory approach," he directed the DENR's Biodiversity Management Bureau, Environmental Management Bureau, Region IV-B office, and PCSD to "to undertake an inquiry into this proposed plan, so that at the outset we can ensure that we continue to conserve and protect this last bastion of coastal biodiversity in Palawan."

He said that the inquiry will be in close coordination with the Department of Tourism, local government units, the Tagbanuas and their council of elders, and other key stakeholders.

"For the record, Coron, which forms part of the Calamianes Group of Islands, is a Key Marine Biodiversity Area of the country, with a high rate of flora and fauna endemism that supports the life of the communities in the area. It is also the ancestral domain of the indigenous people of the Tagbanua tribe," Cimatu emphasized.

Former DENR chief Gina Lopez earlier shunned the plan by US children's television network Nickelodeon to build a resort and theme park in Palawan.

In January, Viacom International Media Networks —Nickelodeon's parent company —announced the park on Palawan Island would be part of a 400-hectare undersea development showcasing the area's marine life that would give fans a chance to "interact with the brand and the iconic characters they love."

The project drew public criticism from netizens and conservation groups, with Save the Philippines leading an online campaign called #CoronIsNotBikiniBottom.

Talks about the project resurfaced after Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo said that the DOT is excited about the idea because this would attract both local and foreign tourists.

Teo later on clarified that the DENR has the final word on approving the resort and theme park project. — TJD, GMA News