Spiking tourism growth leaves question marks over the town's sewage infrastructure sustainability in the Philippines.

El Nido, a small fishing town in the Philippines' western island province of Palawan, is known for its crystal-clear azure waters, dramatic limestone cliffs, exceptional diving spots, and has received numerous accolades from international travel magazines and heavy promotion in social media. Despite these accolades, the town faces a persistent issue with high faecal coliform levels in its coastal waters.

Despite the construction of a new sewage treatment plant and efforts to curb illegal tourism-related businesses, high faecal coliform levels have persisted in the sea around El Nido. This is largely due to the fact that 95% of households in the area use bottomless septic tanks, making it difficult to capture wastewater through pipelines.

The local government aims to achieve full coverage of households within the next two to three years, depending on funding availability. As of January 2025, only 30 households (or 3.3%) in the four major villages comprising El Nido's town centre are connected to the sewage treatment system, despite the low fixed monthly rate of 298 pesos (US$5) per house.

The Philippine government primarily measures success using economic indicators, disregarding environment and social integrity concerns. In 2023, Palawan recorded 1.5 million visitors, with a third visiting El Nido, generating revenues of 57.2 billion pesos (US$1 billion at the exchange rate at the time).

Between 2024 and 2025, the local government of El Nido implemented expanded sewage infrastructure projects, upgraded existing wastewater treatment facilities, and launched community outreach programs to connect more households in the four main towns to the sewage disposal system. As of January 2025, 551 of the 670 commercial establishments are connected to the system, representing an 82% connection rate. Construction for the replacements is slated for completion by April 2025.

The local government has allocated 40 million pesos (US$685,000) to replace the toilets, lavatories, and septic tanks for the first 100 households. However, many homes in El Nido operate tourism businesses without local permits, which may contribute to the wastewater problem.

A study published in Geoforum in 2023 concluded that El Nido's rise to fame and subsequent environmental degradation are in part attributable to the heavy promotion of the town's coastal tourism offerings on social media platforms like Instagram at the decade's onset. Effective planning is crucial to protect coastal destinations from tourism impacts, but the pandemic hiatus wasn't used effectively enough to prepare for the post-pandemic tourist influx.

The new policies and the treatment facility seemed to have little effect in reducing faecal coliform levels to safe standards, according to the government data. Future expansions may involve extending the pipeline network to areas contributing to the wastewater problem. It is hoped that with continued efforts and effective planning, El Nido can maintain its natural beauty while providing a sustainable tourism experience for visitors.