El Nido, famed for its beaches, puts up waste treatment plant to keep them clean
EL NIDO, Palawan — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources over the weekend said local government units should try to replicate El Nido's state-of-the-art sewage and solid waste treatment plant, which aims to address the water pollution and waste disposal issues of the top tourist destination.
Located in Barangay Villa Libertad, the facility is the first sewage and solid waste treatment plant (STP) in the Philippines, the DENR said. It is designed to treat wastewater, septage and biodegradable waste and covers most of the town's 18 barangays.
The treatment plant runs on solar power and biogas. It processes biodegradable solid waste and sludge through anaerobic digestion, or through bacteria that break down organic matter in the absence of oxygen.
In a ceremony Saturday, the DENR lauded the town’s sewage and STP facility, which was inaugurated in September 2021.
Environment Undersecretary Juan Miguel Cuna said the facility "sets the tone" for how LGUs can help implement the Clean Water Act of 2004 and the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
"What is marvelous about this is that it’s funded locally… That is because the governor and the mayor are working together. I hope all LGUs replicate Palawan," Acting Environment Secretary Jim Sampulna also said.
The P490-million facility is a joint project of the provincial government of Palawan and the municipality of El Nido. Palawan Water, an office created by Gov. Jose Alvarez, provided technical services pro bono, which meant savings of P170 million.
"We want to retain the [recognition of being] the best and friendliest island in the world. That’s the main reason why we invested in this," Alvarez said, adding that protecting the environment generates jobs for the town.
Treating sewage
El Nido, located on the northernmost tip of mainland Palawan, has been recognized as having among the world’s best beaches. It is known for its white sand beaches and limestone formations.
Improper discharge of sewage from commercial establishments and houses, however, has lowered water quality and has degraded coastal resources.
In 2018, the DENR ordered a six-month rehabilitation of the tourist destination, which focused on improving the town’s water quality, and enforcing coastal easement and carrying capacity policies. Unlike Boracay, tourism in El Nido was allowed to continue during rehabilitation.
Part of that rehabilitation and of efforts to keep El Nido as clean as possible is the town’s sewage and STP facility, which can collect 2,400 cubic meters of wastewater per day.
The plant collects sewage from business and households through a network of underground pipelines. Sewage in the cluster collector tanks is transported to the treatment plant through an off-grid solar power system. It will then undergo a treatment process.
The facility also has a laboratory equipped with analyzers to determine the priority wastewater effluent parameters such as biological oxygen demand, nitrate, phosphate and fecal coliform.
So far, only 10 establishments are connected to the plant. Engineer Michelle Cardena, Palawan Water program director, said around 1,000 establishments will be connected to the system by yearend.
She added that the plant is not yet charging the establishments for treating their wastewater although rates may be finalized by June or July.
Once fully operational, the facility can also provide communities in El Nido electricity generated from biogas production.
On Saturday, officials from the environment department, and the local governments of El Nido and Palawan also signed a pledge to protect and preserve the water resources of the town.
"In everything that we do and in every program that we initiate will speak the language of fraternity and beauty in our relationship with every aspect of the environment," the pledge read.
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