TRACE College

El Danda St. Batong Malake Los Baños, Laguna

1st Term, A.Y 2019-2020

MACRO PERSPECTIVE OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY

Final Project:

Onuk Island, Balabac, Palawan Project Plan

Submitted by:

Castro, John Alfred

1- B.S Hospitality Management

Submitted to:

Ms. Eden A. Camacho

November 2019
Introduction
According to Philippine daily inquirer (2016), It’s acknowledged that tourism can

easily attract private investors, generate jobs, and eventually help fuel economic

growth. Blessed with more than 7,000

islands, the Philippines is home to some

of the world’s best beaches and

summer destinations, among them

Boracay and Palawan. This landscape

should have made tourism a major economic pillar and dollar earner. But sadly, the

Philippines lags behind its neighbors in developing and benefiting much from it. The lack

of development in the tourism industry decreases the rate of Tourist coming to the

country to spend their money. And in that, it basically helps our economy.

According to Libosada (2018), which the main mandate of the DOT is to attract

tourists and manage some, select sites such as Intramuros, Rizal Park, and so-called

tourism economic zones. Tourism trainings are also provided and are slowly being

modified to cater to various needs, such as first aid and specific guiding techniques

(e.g. mountain guiding). But the magnitude of the industry growth already puts

tremendous pressure on these training programs.

DOT, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), and an

increasing number of provinces and municipalities are formulating tourism plans to

guide destination stakeholders to more effectively develop their tourism industry.

There is a chance for municipalities to move up through the help of tourism.

 But the system itself makes this difficult. Towns have to reach certain local

population and demand requirements to be allocated funding for schools, clinics, and

hospitals, yet transient individuals, aka tourists, are not included in these counts.

Accidents can happen in any place, and tourists are the most vulnerable

members of a society. They often do not have their support system with them, and their

resources are highly limited. If sites start developing their tourism industry, they must

recognize this fact. They must be ready to provide the needed facilities and services to

the transients. They must go beyond the usual institutional excuse that they cannot

satisfy the needed bureaucratic requirements.

Background of the Destination

White beaches in the Philippines are fairly abundant and protrude a unique

surreal feel in every visit. Found in the southwestern part of Palawan, Onuk Island

(formerly known as Roughton

Island) is a hidden spot that’s

now taking the limelight for its

crystal waters and its white

sand beaches broke that

standard and raised it in a new

level.

Onuk Island is a privately-owned island, a property of Mayor Shuaib Astami

of Balabac, Palawan. Despite its being a private property, it is open to the public, and it

has a few rooms to accommodate guests. It’s also fast becoming a popular tourist
destination, having been featured in National Geographic Channel because of a

winning photo by travel photographer George Tapan.

Once on the island, frolic on the white sand with your loved ones, or go

swimming in the clear blue waters. There are also sandbars during low tide season. This

is the perfect getaway island – no internet connection, cell phone signal is limited, and

no television sets. Electricity in the island is also turned off at midnight. Caretakers

staying in the island will be more than

willing to serve some good home-

cooked meals when you get hungry.

Freshly cooked seafood from their catch

is standard in the menu.

Most people speak Malay already since they are near Malaysia. Malaysian

goods are also available everywhere and is probably more abundant than local

goods. Moreover, the cultures of people in the province are a mix of both Christian and

Muslim living closely together.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to answer to following questions:

1.) How can we prevent accidents from occurring from the island?

2.) How can we provide activities or entertainment for the Tourists?

3.) Is there a way that we can make the island increase its tourist growth rate but still

preserve its environment?

Solution
According to Wesersport (2019), an accident is a specific, unexpected, unusual

and unintended external action which occurs in a peculiar clip and topographic point,

with no evident and calculated cause but with pronounced effects. It implies a by and

large negative result which may hold been avoided or prevented had fortunes taking

up to the accident been recognized, and acted upon, prior to its happening.

According to Detourista (2018), Malaria is present in some of the islands

in Balabac, not all. It’s something NOT to be taken lightly, so follow precautions by a

qualified medical professional.

You will need to bring strong mosquito repellent

lotion/spray. Make sure DEET (N,N-Diethyl-m-toluamide) is one of

the ingredients. Also bring additional layers of protection

including mosquito repellent made with other active ingredients

(like Citronella oil), mosquito nets (mosquitero) and thick full body

cover-ups. If you do decide to take anti-malarial medications, the first dosage should

start two weeks prior to your trip.

Balabac has had a history of insurgencies/security concerns, but the situation

there is far from the situation in some parts of ARMM. The islands are inhabited by

peace-loving communities, both Christian and Muslim.

Since Onuk Island is only known for its breathtaking scenery and crystal clear

waters, caretakers or the owner of the island must come up with entertainment that

tourists can do while staying in the island. The Island is very remote like the nearby
islands and typical activities like snorkeling, star gazing, and other activities that involve

its natural landscape and sceneries are only the only things you’ll do in the island.

According to Wood (2018), that the classic article of Stanley Plog, "Why

Destination Areas Rise and Fall," brilliantly captures the human desire to explore places

and leave them behind once they lose their distinctive character. Communicating

what we discover, sharing it with others, allows destinations to grow, sprawl and

ultimately become overcrowded.

Human generally have the instinct to roam around places, tourists must

remember that we are now living with environmental issues that we must stop, not just

the places with natural destinations, but the whole planet. The island of Onuk, in

Balabac, Palawan, is not that much inhabited by tourists as of now, but what if in the

near future the island is populated and the environment is constantly being destroyed.

Actions to be taken
The Researcher has come up with actions that would help in preventing

accidents, providing leisure to tourists, and at the same time conserving the island’s

natural resources.

1.) The island must plant enough trees or herbs that

can help in reducing the mosquitoes that in inhabited

in the island.

2.) The caretakers of the island should have basic

first aid trainings and kits.

3.) Organizing an activity like bonfire wherein they

present their culture and traditions to the tourists.

4.) Lessening the Garbage in the island by using canvas or even the biodegradable

plastic like the ones in Indonesia where it does not harm the nature even humans and

animals.

5.) Having weekly island inspection to see if there are potential environmental

problems.

6.) Raising awareness to those who will go and stay in the island by conducting an

orientation regarding the preservation of the island.

Conclusion
Developing a Project Plan in Onuk, Island in Balabac, Palawan can potentially

save a destination from a “paradise lost”. It is important since we are the ones who will

continually use the resources; we are responsible in keeping the island in its original

state. The Island is not populated and is being taken care of a small group of

individuals. It offers limited activities such as snorkeling, sightseeing, etc. We must not

only develop the island but also its nearby islands as well.

The islands of Balabac, Palawan composes of islands which also needed to

burgeon. The point of this project plan is not only develop Onuk island, but be as a

reference in conserving other islands in the Philippine as well. In today’s era, the

environment is threatened to be destroyed if it is not protected. If we would not invest in

this kind of things there is a high probability of the tourist destination to be ruined.

It is very clear that the need of project plan in tourists’ destinations can utterly

turn a place to be preserved in a long time. Having the development plan to these
destinations can both be beneficial to people and importantly to the environment.

References
Melo Villareal (2018), “Majestic Onuk Island – Palawan’s Hidden Paradise”,

Retrieved from, https://outoftownblog.com/majestic-onuk-island-palawans-hidden-

paradise/

Ambiance (2018), “Onuk Island, Balabac Palawan”, Retrieved from

https://rediscover.ph/2018/07/onuk-island-balabac-palawan/

Marcos Detourista (2018), “Balabac Trip guide for first timers”, Retrieved from

https://www.detourista.com/guide/balabac/

Weserport (2019), “Activities and accidents in the tourism industry tourism essay”,

Retrieved from https://wesersport.com/activities-and-accidents-in-the-tourism-industry-

tourism-essay-3963-essay/

Caloy Libosada (2018), “The problem with the Philippine Tourism industry”,

Retrieved from https://cnnphilippines.com/life/leisure/travel/2018/4/11/problem-with-

Philippine-tourism.html

Megan Epler Wood (2018), “Why the private sector must protect tourist

destinations”, Retrieved from https://www.greenbiz.com/article/why-private-sector-

must-protect-tourist-destinations