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Agence France-Presse

American children’s television network Nickelodeon has announced it will build an underwater resort and theme park on an island known as the Philippines’ last ecological frontier, alarming environmentalists.
The firm behind SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer said 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”.
Palawan was chosen for the development because it “is known to have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world today,” Ron Johnson, an executive vice president with Viacom International Media Networks, which owns Nickelodeon, said in a statement.
Viacom’s initial statement announcing the project on Monday said the resort would open in 2020 and feature restaurants and lounges six metres below sea level.


The development would “advocate ocean protection”, and conserve coral reefs, the statement said.
But environmental group Greenpeace said it would destroy the area’s world-famous marine ecosystem.
“It’s sad and alarming because a theme park that big will not promote environmental protection by building those structures,” Vince Cinches of Greenpeace Southeast Asia said.
Japanese casino tycoon wants to make Philippines ‘next Hawaii’
“Why build a viewing deck when you have the whole paradise to enjoy?”
Conservation groups call Palawan “the last frontier” because of its pristine coastlines and forests, which are among the oldest and most diverse in Southeast Asia.

Palawan is home to two Unesco World Heritage-listed sites, a subterranean river and the Tubbataha coral reefs.
Palawan-based environmental activist Grizelda Mayo-Anda also expressed concern.
“I am wary because we have had problems already with resorts built in mangrove areas,” Mayo-Anda, executive director of the Environmental Legal Assistance Centre, said.
“I’m really concerned because sometimes, with all due respect to the local government unit, we get captivated by new projects and we do not judiciously study the impact.”
Viacom’s Philippine partner, Coral World Park, insisted the resort would not hurt the environment.
“We are taking very, very careful measures to ensure that the biodiversity is kept intact,” Coral World Park chairman Paul Monozca said.
The Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, a government body, said the project had yet to be approved.


Nickelodeon to build Philippine underwater theme park - and  green groups are worried

Viacom’s Philippine partner, Coral World Park, insisted the resort would not hurt the environment. Photo: Coral World Park

*** ONE TIME USE ONLY *** --GOODLIFE COVER-- 12 Apr 2012, Palawan, Philippines --- A man traveling on an outrigger boat to Coron Island, Palawan. --- Image by ¬© Jacob Maentz/Corbis [10MAY2015 TRAVEL POST MAGAZINE]

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