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El Nido, officially the Municipality of El Nido (, ), is a
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
in the
province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Palawan Palawan (, ), officially the Province of Palawan (; ), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of . The capital and largest c ...
,
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 50,494 people. A managed resource protected area,Destination: El Nido
Accessed 24, 2008.
it is known for its white-sand beaches, coral reefs, and limestone cliffs, as well as for being the gateway to the Bacuit archipelago.


History

El Nido, also known as Bacuit, has been inhabited by humans since at least 2680 BC, possibly as early as 22,000 years ago. This was confirmed by fossils and burial sites dating back to the Late Neolithic Age that can be found in many caves and excavation sites surrounding the municipality, particularly in Dewil Valley's Ille Cave in New Ibajay. Chinese traders regularly visited the area of Palawan for its edible birds' nests during the
Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...
(960–1279). The island was mentioned in Chinese records of 1225.
Chau Ju-Kua Zhao Rukuo ( zh, t=趙汝适, s=赵汝适, p=Zhào Rǔkuò; 1170–1231), also romanised as Zhao Rugua, Chau Ju-kua, or misread as Zhao Rushi, was a Chinese government official and writer during the Song dynasty. He wrote a two-volume book titled ' ...
, a trade commissioner of the port of Chuan, wrote about the island, ''Pa-Lao-Yu'' or ''Land of Beautiful Harbors'', in his book '' Chu Fan Chi''. The town traces its roots from a small Tagbanwa village called ''Talindak''. Sometime in the 16th century, waves of migrants from Cuyo Islands settled in the area. In the 1800s, the
Spaniards Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance-speaking ethnic group native to the Iberian Peninsula, primarily associated with the modern nation-state of Spain. Genetically and ethnolinguistically, Spaniards belong to the broader Southern a ...
arrived, and they moved to the area where the present-day Población and Mabini are located. The first Spanish families were the Canovas, Vázquez, Ríos, and Rey. In 1890, the Spaniards renamed it ''Bacuit''. At the time, the center of the town was Cabigsing, then known as Inventario. Chinese families moved into the area about the same period, first settling in Langeblangeban. The first Chinese settlers were named Lim, Chin, Liao, Edsan, Ambao, Que-Ke, Lim Piao, Yu His, Pe Phan, and Pe Khen. During the Spanish colonial era, the town was under the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Taytay, which was the capital of the former ''Province of Calamianes'' from 1818, and the ''Province of Castilla'', the area of what is now known as northern Palawan, from 1858. It remained part of Taytay until 1916, when it formally became an independent municipality. The new municipality was then known as Bacuit. On June 17, 1954, Republic Act No. 1140 was approved, changing the name of the town from Bacuit to its present name, El Nido, after the edible nests of
swiftlets Swiftlets are birds from the four genera ''Aerodramus'', ''Collocalia'', ''Hydrochous'' and ''Schoutedenapus'', which form the tribe (biology), tribe Collocaliini within the swift (bird), swift family (biology), family Apodidae. The group contain ...
('' collocalia fuciphaga'') found in the crevices of its
limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
cliffs. These nests, ''nido'' in
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
, the main ingredient for the gourmet nido soup, are being sold at approximately
US$ The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...
3,000 per kilogram. In 1957, the following barrios were created: * Villa Paz comprising the sitios of New Igabas, Candolay, Malapaho, Mabeñgeten, Dewel, Nalbekan, and Lapia; * Bebeladan comprising the sitios of Mainlong, Bolabod, Balete, Culiong, Codongnon, Vigan, Pagawanen, Langeblangeban, Talulap, Bocboc, Miadiao, Avirawan, Pita, Deboluan, Balay-Bacaco, Kiminawit, Pamontonan, Simpian, Binabanan, Tegas, and Pinacpanacan; * Bagong-Bayan comprising the sitios of Manogtog, Cadleman, Pinagtual, Omao, Nami, Tebey, Bato, Tuñgay, Cataaban, and Lomocob; * Pasadeña comprising the sitios of Lamoro, Cagbatang, Bulalacao, Pinañganteñgan, Quinawañgan, Nagbaclao, Colantod, Loblob, and Badiang; * Sibaltan comprising the sitios of Turatod, Buluang, Santa Monica, Senodioc, Laolao, Caboñgan, Tapic, Panian, Guitan, Loro, and Nagcalasag; * Barotuan comprising the sitios of Taberna, Locaroc, Nagpan, Yocoton, Calitang, Wawa, Makinit, Canoling, Mabañgaon, and Mapeldeten; * San Fernando comprising the sitios of Panian, Madorianen, Dipnay, Maubog, Guenleng, Palabuayan, Parañgaycayan, San Pablo, and Olac-olacan; and, * Villa Libertad comprising the sitios of Calelenday, Taolili, Boloc, Inigtan, Mepague, Matolatolaon, Dao, Batbat, Madacotdacot, Nasigdan, Semenled, Bancalen, and Cagbanaba. In the same year, the barrio of Oton was renamed to Mabini.


Geography

El Nido is situated in Bacuit Bay and covers a land area of . It is in the northernmost tip of mainland Palawan and is bordered by the Linapacan Strait to the north, the
Sulu Sea The Sulu Sea (; Tausug: ''Dagat sin Sūg''; ; ) is a body of water in the southwestern area of the Philippines, separated from the South China Sea in the northwest by Palawan and from the Celebes Sea in the southeast by the Sulu Archipela ...
to the east, and the
South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...
to the west. El Nido includes 45 islands and islets, each with their own unique geological formations. The highest peak is at Cadlao Island, towering up to above sea level. Together with
Sulu Archipelago The Sulu Archipelago ( Tausug: Kapū'-pūan sin Sūg Sulat Sūg: , ) is a chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean, in the southwestern Philippines. The archipelago forms the northern limit of the Celebes Sea and southern limit of the Sulu Se ...
,
Sabah Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah has land borders with the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and Indonesia's North Kalima ...
, and the
South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...
, El Nido, being part of Palawan, is located in the tectonically active and seismically active Sunda Plate,On Shaky Ground
.
a plate that is entirely separate from the
Philippine Mobile Belt In the geology of the Philippines, the Philippine Mobile Belt is a complex portion of the tectonic boundary between the Eurasian plate and the Philippine Sea plate, comprising most of the country of the Philippines. It includes two subduction ...
to which the rest of the Philippines belongs. The
Permian The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years, from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.902 Mya. It is the s ...
to
Paleogene The Paleogene Period ( ; also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene) is a geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the Neogene Period Ma. It is the fir ...
rocks and limestone cliffs of El Nido are similar to those that can be found in
Ha Long Bay Ha may refer to: Agencies and organizations * Health authority, a former type of administrative organisation of the NHS in England and Wales * Hells Angels Motorcycle Club * Highways Agency (renamed ''Highways England'', now ''National Highways'' ...
in
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
,
Guilin Guilin (Standard Zhuang: ''Gveilinz''), postal map romanization, formerly romanization of Chinese, romanized as Kweilin, is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of China's Guangxi, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is situated on the we ...
in
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, as well as Krabi in
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
, all of which are part of the Sunda Plate. El Nido is about south-west of
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
, and north-east of
Puerto Princesa Puerto Princesa (, American Spanish: , European Spanish: ), officially the City of Puerto Princesa (Cuyonon language, Cuyonon: ''Siyudad i'ang Puerto Princesa''; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in th ...
, capital of Palawan.


Barangays

El Nido is politically subdivided into eighteen
barangay The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
s. Each barangay consists of
purok A ''purok'' () is an informal division within a barangay in the Philippines. While not officially considered a local government unit (LGU), a ''purok'' often serves as a unit for delivering services and administration within a barangay. ''Pur ...
s and some have
sitios A ''sitio'' (Spanish language, Spanish for "site") in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay. Typically rural, a ''sitios location is usually far from the center of the barangay itself and could be its own bar ...
. Four of these barangays are situated in the ''Población'' (town proper) and are also known by their respective zones. * Bagong Bayan * Buena Suerte (Zone II) * Barotuan * Bebeladan * Corong-corong (Zone IV) * Mabini (formerly Oton) * Manlag * Masagana (Zone III) * New Ibajay * Pasadeña * Maligaya (Zone I) * San Fernando * Sibaltan * Teneguiban * Villa Libertad * Villa Paz * Bucana * Aberawan


Climate

The climate in El Nido is distinguished by two seasons: dry, from December to May, and wet, from June to November. April and May are typically the driest, while the heaviest rainfall occurs around August. The northeast wind blows from December to March, occasionally interchanging with the north wind from December to February. The southwest wind is felt from June to October while the east wind, the mildest of all winds, blows during April and May.Philippine Country
Accessed August 25, 2008.
The average temperature ranges from a low of to a high of . The coolest temperatures are usually experienced during January, while the hottest temperatures are felt in April and May.


Demographics

In the 2020 census, the population of El Nido was 50,494 people, with a density of . The first town census of 1918 showed El Nido as having a population of 1,789. In the period between 1980 and 1990, the population grew to 18,832.
Accessed August 24, 2008.
Based on the 2000 census, the annual growth rate is 3.58%. This is higher than the average annual population growth rate for the whole country for the periods 1990 to 2000 and 2000 to 2007, which were only 2.34% and 2.04% respectively. According to the 2007 census, El Nido has a population of 30,249 people in 6,311 households in its eighteen
barangay The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
s. Eighty-five percent of the population are living in rural barangays, while only fifteen percent of them are in the Población area.


Ethnic groups

The original settlers of El Nido were the Tagbanwas and Cuyunons. Throughout the centuries, there has been a constant migration of
Tagalogs The Tagalog people are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Philippines, particularly the Metro Manila and Calabarzon regions and Marinduque province of southern Luzon, and comprise the majority in the provinces of Bulacan, Bataan, N ...
, Hiligaynon, Bicolanos, Ilocanos, Chinese and
Spaniards Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance-speaking ethnic group native to the Iberian Peninsula, primarily associated with the modern nation-state of Spain. Genetically and ethnolinguistically, Spaniards belong to the broader Southern a ...
. There are also a small number of Japanese and
Koreans Koreans are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Korean Peninsula. The majority of Koreans live in the two Korean sovereign states of North and South Korea, which are collectively referred to as Korea. As of 2021, an estimated 7.3 m ...
. Intermarriage between ethnic and linguistic groups is not uncommon in El Nido.


Languages

The main language is Filipino ( Tagalog). In addition, many people are very proficient in English, Hiligaynon, other
Visayan languages The Bisayan languages or Visayan languages are a subgroup of the Austronesian languages spoken in the Philippines. They are most closely related to Tagalog and the Bikol languages, all of which are part of the Central Philippine languages. Mo ...
, and Bicolano. A small but significant percentage of the population speaks or comprehends Cuyonon, the native language of the Cuyo Islands and most parts of Palawan.


Economy

The main industries of El Nido are
fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...
,
agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
and
tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...
, being a popular diving location. Edible nest-gathering is also an economic activity, although it is seasonal.
Coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...
, palay,
cashew Cashew is the common name of a tropical evergreen tree ''Anacardium occidentale'', in the family Anacardiaceae. It is native to South America and is the source of the cashew nut and the cashew apple, an accessory fruit. The tree can grow as t ...
,
banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large treelike herbaceous flowering plants in the genus '' Musa''. In some countries, cooking bananas are called plantains, distinguishing the ...
, and
mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South and Southeast As ...
are its major products.Official Website of the Province of Palawan
Accessed August 28, 2008.
As a tourist destination, El Nido has been included in ''
Condé Nast Traveler ''Condé Nast Traveler'' is a luxury and lifestyle travel magazine published by Condé Nast. The magazine has won 25 National Magazine Awards. The Condé Nast unit of Advance Publications purchased ''Signature'', a magazine for Diners Club me ...
''s list of "''20 Most Beautiful Beaches in the World''," and CNNgo has called it the best beach and island destination in the PhilippinesThe Philippines' best beaches and islands
. ''CNN Go website''. Accessed May 15, 2012.
for its "extraordinary natural splendor and ecosystem."


Government

El Nido is governed by a mayor and a vice mayor, who are elected to three-year terms. The
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
is the executive head and leads the municipality's departments to execute the municipal ordinances and improve public services. The
vice mayor The deputy mayor (also known as vice mayor and assistant mayor) is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official that is present in many local governments. Duties and functions Many elected deputy mayors are members of the loca ...
heads the legislative council consisting of eight councilors, more commonly known as Sangguniang Bayan members. The
municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough cou ...
is in charge of creating the municipality's policies in the form of ordinances and resolutions.


Seal

The municipality seal shows a silhouette of the territory of El Nido inside an armor-shaped picture. The famous marble and limestone cliffs represent the nesting grounds of the
swiftlets Swiftlets are birds from the four genera ''Aerodramus'', ''Collocalia'', ''Hydrochous'' and ''Schoutedenapus'', which form the tribe (biology), tribe Collocaliini within the swift (bird), swift family (biology), family Apodidae. The group contain ...
. Behind it is the oil rig, representing the areas within its administrative boundaries that are found to be rich in
oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...
and
natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...
such as the Malampaya Sound, which is 50 kilometers within its borders, and the Cadlao Oilfield in Bacuit Bay area. At the bottom of the picture is the rice field, with the carabao head superimposed at the center, and on the other side, the sea, with the fish and the squid situated in the middle, representing
farming Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
and
fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...
, the two main industries of its people.


Protected area status


Establishment

In 1984, the then Ministry of Natural Resources issued Administrative Order No. 518, establishing a maritime area in El Nido as a turtle sanctuary. In 1991, the rest of Bacuit Bay, including its island and islets, was proclaimed by the Philippine government as a marine reserve. A year later, by Administrative Order No. 14 Series of 1992 of the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR; ) is the Executive Departments of the Philippines, executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the conservation, management, development, and proper use of the cou ...
, this area was expanded even further. In 1998, its status was elevated to that of a protected area, including the terrestrial ecosystem of El Nido and portions of Taytay.UNESCO:El Nido-Taytay Managed Resource Area
August 26, 2008.


Extent and scope

The El Nido-Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area is the largest marine sanctuary in the Philippines. Its
protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood ...
status accords the areas of El Nido and portions of its neighboring town of Taytay a place among the eight priority sites in the country in need of conservation. The protected area covers a total of 903.21 square kilometers,Palawan Council for Sustainable Development: El Nido - Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area
Accessed 26, 2008
of which 40% are terrestrial and 60% marine.
Accessed August 24, 2008.
The provincial government has mobilized its citizenry to actively participate in various environmental conservation and protection programs, such as the "Bantay Gubat" for forest protection, and the " Bantay Dagat" for marine life preservation. Patrolling within the protected areas, especially in the marine zones is regularly conducted with the help of the World Wildlife Fund - Philippines that allocates funds to support said activity. Another logistic support is by the concerned municipal governments. The Palawan Council for Sustainable Management (PCSD) provides legal assistance during the litigation of cases filed by the Protected Area Office (PAO). As a protected area, the Philippine government spends approximately
US$ The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...
180,000 annually to protect and manage its natural resources.Palawan Council for Sustainable Development: Protected Areas
Accessed September 5, 2008.
Tourists are encouraged to pay
US$ The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...
0.50 per day as a conservation fee for the duration of their visit to the Municipal Tourism Office or the Office of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), which are housed in the Municipal Building in Calle Real. This was embodied in the PAMB Resolution No. 08 series 2000 from the National Integrated Protected Area Program (NIPAP) of the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR; ) is the Executive Departments of the Philippines, executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the conservation, management, development, and proper use of the cou ...
(DENR). El Nido, one of the country's most diverse ecosystems, is protected for its unique flora, fauna, and pristine geologic formations. These include: * limestone cliffs, the home of the
swiftlets Swiftlets are birds from the four genera ''Aerodramus'', ''Collocalia'', ''Hydrochous'' and ''Schoutedenapus'', which form the tribe (biology), tribe Collocaliini within the swift (bird), swift family (biology), family Apodidae. The group contain ...
* 50 white sand beaches * 5 types of forest (the lowland evergreen rainforests found in the mainland and islands such as Miniloc, Lagen, and Pangulasian; semi-deciduous forests; forests over limestone; beach forests; the mangrove forests found mostly around major rivers and creeks in the mainland) * 3 major marine habitats * 16
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
and 10
threatened A threatened species is any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which is vulnerable to extinction in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of ''critical depensatio ...
species of birds (including the Palawan hornbill, the Palawan shama, the Palawan tit, Palawan scops owl, and the Palawan peacock pheasant) * 6 species of
marine mammals Marine mammals are mammals that rely on marine ecosystems for their existence. They include animals such as cetaceans, pinnipeds, sirenians, sea otters and polar bears. They are an informal group, unified only by their reliance on marine env ...
endemic to Palawan (including
dolphins A dolphin is an aquatic mammal in the cetacean clade Odontoceti (toothed whale). Dolphins belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontopori ...
and its native
dugong The dugong (; ''Dugong dugon'') is a marine mammal. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest ...
) * The Palawan tree shrew, the
Palawan stink badger The Palawan stink badger (''Mydaus marchei''), ''pantot'' or ''tuldo'' in the Batak language (Philippines), Batak language, is a carnivoran of the western Philippines named for its resemblance to badgers, its powerful smell, and the largest islan ...
, the Palawan spiny rat, the Palawan anteater, and the northern Palawan tree squirrel * 4 species of endangered marine turtles ( hawksbill, olive ridley, leatherback and green sea turtles) * 100 species of corals,The ceramic corals of El Nido
Accessed September 10, 2008.
45 of which belong to the genera of hard
coral Corals are colonial marine invertebrates within the subphylum Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact Colony (biology), colonies of many identical individual polyp (zoology), polyps. Coral species include the important Coral ...
s * 813 species of fish


Transportation


Air

El Nido Airport El Nido Airport , also known as Lio Airport, is an airport serving the general area of El Nido, located in the province of Palawan in the Philippines. It is located in the barangay The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historicall ...
, also known as Lio Airport, is the primary and sole airport serving the town of El Nido.


Roads

The main roads of El Nido are organized around a set of radial and circumferential roads that radiate and circle in and around the town proper and its rural barangays. Its interconnected roads are connected to the major highway that leads to
Puerto Princesa Puerto Princesa (, American Spanish: , European Spanish: ), officially the City of Puerto Princesa (Cuyonon language, Cuyonon: ''Siyudad i'ang Puerto Princesa''; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in th ...
, Palawan's capital. Daily buses and jeepneys depart at San Jose Terminal in Puerto Princesa for El Nido.
Tricycle A tricycle, sometimes abbreviated to trike, is a Human-powered transport, human-powered (or gasoline or electric motor powered or assisted, or gravity powered) Three-wheeler, three-wheeled vehicle. Some tricycles, such as cycle rickshaws (for pa ...
s are used for short-distance trips around town proper. The national road between Taytay and El Nido was rehabilitated, and this has helped boost tourism and business activity in the area.Official Website of the Province of Palawan: Infrastructure
Accessed September 10, 2008.


Seaports and piers

The main port in El Nido, which is under the jurisdiction of the
Philippine Ports Authority The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA; ) is a government-owned and controlled corporation under the Department of Transportation as an attached agency. It is responsible for the financing, management and operations of public ports throughout ...
(PPA), is located in Buena Suerte (Zone II), although several small and accessible wharves, such as the San Fernando pier, are being used in other rural barangays. Several ferries and other sea vessels owned by Atienza Shipping Lines and San Nicholas Shipping Lines have regular trips from Manila to El Nido.


Utilities

The Población area is part of the service areas of electric utility, Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO), a division of the National Power Corporation operating with 0.423
megawatts The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named in honor o ...
of electricity. Other barangays use
solar panels A solar panel is a device that converts sunlight into electricity by using photovoltaic (PV) cells. PV cells are made of materials that produce excited electrons when exposed to light. These electrons flow through a circuit and produce direct ...
and electric generators. The island resorts generate their own electricity. Water services are accessible in protected water tables and facilities. Ten percent of the population can avail of the 'Level II Water System', or communal faucet,Official Website of the Province of Palawan: Public utilities
Accessed August 28, 2008.
by the municipal government, while the majority of them are still dependent on deep wells and natural springs. Internet services are available in a few establishments with wireless
broadband In telecommunications, broadband or high speed is the wide-bandwidth (signal processing), bandwidth data transmission that exploits signals at a wide spread of frequencies or several different simultaneous frequencies, and is used in fast Inter ...
access.El Nido FAQs
. Accessed March 29, 2010.


Education

El Nido has more than ten public elementary and secondary schools located in most of its barangays. El Nido Central School and El Nido National High School, which are both located at the
Poblacion ''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...
, have the largest facilities and number of students, among these schools. Recently, the Palawan State University opened its El Nido campus in New Ibajay, offering extramural programs and studies. Some of the lower-grade schools are located in Calitang, such as Calitang Elementary School, Pasadeña Elementary School, Barutoan Elementary School, Bucana Elementary School, and Lamoro Elementary School.


See also

*
List of renamed cities and municipalities in the Philippines The following is a list of renamed cities and municipalities in the Philippines. Luzon *Adan → Adams, Ilocos Norte, AdamsAdams< ...


References


External links


Palawan Council for Sustainable Development: Palawan Flora and Fauna
* Philippine Standard Geographic Codebr>Local Governance Performance Management System
{{World Heritage Sites in the Philippines Municipalities of Palawan Protected areas of the Philippines Beaches of the Philippines Tourist attractions in Palawan