Whole Vol 12-2 final version

Journal of Environmental Science and Management 12(2): 11– 27 (December 2009)

ISSN 0119-1144

Beach Carrying Capacity Assessment of Coastal Ecotourism in

Calatagan, Batangas, Phlippines

Alicia R. Quicoy1 and Nicomedes D. Briones2

ABSTRACT

The estimation of carrying capacity of coastal ecotourism, particularly for swimming, was

conducted in Calatagan, Batangas where tourism is starting to be a major local industry.

Tourism is based on the attractions provided by natural resources and tourists normally look for

places that are not yet densely populated with clean, peaceful and beautiful natural environment.

Carrying capacity, as a measure of sustainability, is a practical tool to maintain the balance

between development and conservation of tourism resources.

Perceptions, attitudes and behavior of sample respondents in selected Calatagan coastal

barangays were solicited in relation to conservation of coastal resources such as additional

demand for freshwater and solid waste management brought about by tourism development.

Tourists chose to go to Calatagan because they find the community peaceful and serene (19%),

because of its beautiful beaches (19%), and rich marine resources such as beautiful coral reefs

(14%); which are all enticing for diving and snorkeling activities.

The carrying capacity for swimming area was estimated using different standards for

exploration. Using Boullon’s standard of 500 m2, the actual average daily visitors in Calatagan

are way beyond the carrying capacity in terms of swimming area throughout the year, especially

during peak months (March to May). On the other hand, using both the lower limit and upper

limit of the standards for swimming area per swimmer by the Florida Department of

Environmental Protection (4.65-9.30 m2), the actual number of visitors either during lean or

peak months for the current year, were still very much below the carrying capacity of Calatagan,

except during the projected 2010 peak months. Based on the ocular observation during the

conduct of the survey, the standard of 4.65-9.30 m2 per swimmer was found more suited to the

Calatagan scenario and probably, to the Philippine scenario as well.

Key words: ecotourism, carrying capacity, marine resources

INTRODUCTION

The concept of ecotourism may apply to

every establishment and individual in the tourism

industry, from the traveler to the resort operator, to the lodge keeper (Libosada 1998). Having in

mind that the environment is the primary asset of

tourism, efforts must be made to ensure that impacts are minimized. According to the joint

DENR-DOT memorandum Circular entitled

Guide Laws for Ecotourism Development in the Philippines in 1998, ecotourism concept refers to:

“A low-impact, environmentally-sound and

community-participatory tourism activity in a

given natural environment that enhances the

conservation of biophysical understanding and

education and yields socio-economic benefits to

the concerned community.”

Comprehensive and holistic definitions of

ecotourism encompass a wide range of variables, such as education, sustainability, cultural

sensitivity, conservation, and local benefits

(Kontogeorgopoulos 2004). Sustainability is strictly limiting group sizes and scatter tours

1 University Researcher II, Department of Economics, College of Economics and Management, University of the Philippines Los Baños,

College, Laguna, Email address: [email protected] 2 Professor, School of Environmental Science and Management, University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna, Email address:

[email protected]

throughout different times of the day in order to disperse the overall number of tourist, and therefore,

reduce the pressure put on particular areas at any

given moment. Sustainability is defined as human

use of the environment that is consistent with biophysical functions. In other words, natural

systems are not disrupted to such an extent that

ecological relationships and the landscape are irreversibly altered (Hercock 1999).

Carrying capacity, as a measure of sustainability, is a practical tool to use in

maintaining the balance between development

and conservation. It can serve as a benchmark

against which one can measure change and the causes of that change. Carrying capacity will

serve as the early warning system for trouble

(Chamberlain 1997). Although “carrying capacity” may have various meanings (e.g., in relation to

the maximum number of people who could

potentially inhabit the Earth at the same time), it is more often used to determine the level of human

activity an area can accommodate without

adverse effects on the resident community or on

the quality of visitor experience.

As cited by Stewart (1993), one of the earliest

formal definitions of carrying capacity was that put forward by James and Ripley (1963) who

simply defined it as the biological and physical

limitations of the land to support recreational use

(cited in Pratt 1976). However, an examination of works of several other authors revealed other

dimensions to the carrying capacity concept.

LaPage (1963) in Stewart (1993) maintained that there are two essential components to be

considered: 1) the aesthetic recreational carrying

capacity, which is defined as that level of development and use beyond which measurable

decreases in satisfaction occur as a direct result

of gross numbers of recreationists; and 2) biotic

carrying capacity, which might be defined as that level of development and use beyond which the

site's capacity to provide a sustained high level of

satisfaction becomes impaired due to severe damage to the natural site.

Coastal Resorts

One of the primary destinations for tourists

in the coastal zone is a beach resort, which can be

12 Beach Carrying Capacity Assessment of Coastal Ecotourism in Calatagan, Batangas

defined as geographic areas offering a variety of facilities, services and activities which are

oriented toward seaside recreation for the

accommodation, use and enjoyment of visitors

Smith (1991), as cited in Stewart (1993). The evolution of beach resorts has merited considerable

attention in the literature. Smith (1991 and

1992a, in Stewart 1993) It was observed that while beach resort development begins well, as

the resort matures, resort ambience deteriorates,

pollution levels climb, negative social impacts increase, and questions of the distribution of

economic benefits arise. This observation closely

parallels the concept of The Tourism Area Life

Cycle (TALC) by Butler (1980). The concept is similar to the product life cycle and is used to

track the progress of the resort region. It can

provide advice regarding appropriate timely action aimed at avoiding regional decline which

may otherwise be inevitable. Smith (1991) further

maintains that an understanding of how resorts grow and change over time is imperative if the

benefits of beach resorts are to be realized and

their negative aspects anticipated and mitigated.

Objectives and Significance of the Study

The municipality of Calatagan has a 48-km coastline, which is one of the longest among the

towns and cities in Batangas province. Its

richness in coastal resources makes it a suitable

tourist destination due to its beautiful beach resorts.

Conservation and protection of marine

resources is one major focus of the Verde Passage Marine Biodiversity Conservation Corridor

(MBCC), which covers an area of 494,700 ha in

the middle of the Mindoro-Calavite-Tablas Triangle, and is bounded on the north by the

province of Batangas, on the south by Oriental

Mindoro, on the west by Lubang Island, Occidental

Mindoro, and the Luzon Sea, and on the east by Tayabas Bay, Quezon and the waters off

Marinduque. The corridor is the center of the

Indo-Malay-Philippines Archipelago (IMPA), a region that has long been considered the area of

highest marine biodiversity, with the greatest

number of tropical shallow water habitats on earth, including coral reefs (Corridor Highlights,

undated?). There are, however, also considerable

dangers, as these communities are under grave

13

threat due to habitat degradation and poorly planned coastal resources development. Thus,

results of this study could provide inputs for the

local government of Calatagan on how the

resource can be used and managed sustainably.

This study aimed to assess the beach carrying

capacity for ecotourism of Calatagan in Batangas where tourism is starting to flourish with its

beautiful beaches and rich marine resources.

Specifically, it aimed to: 1) identify and assess limiting resources that determine the carrying

capacity; 2) determine the resources available for

tourism, and 3) assess the beach resort carrying

capacity, particularly for swimming.

Theoretical Framework

Tourism is an industry being promoted for

the promise of economic benefits for the community

and the government through additional employment opportunities for local residents, income generator

for the government and income taxes for the local

government (LGU). However, since the kind of

environment attracts tourists, the good condition

of the environment should be preserved and protected. In this endeavor, the tourism industry and the

community should work hand in hand in protecting

the integrity of the environment toward sustainable

tourism or ecotourism through determining the resource carrying capacity by use or activity. In

return, ecotourism would benefit the community,

the government and the different stakeholders (Figure 1). The concept of ecotourism should be

the type of tourism that must be promoted in

Calatagan and not just mass tourism. In ecotourism, this will ensure that tourists coming to Calatagan

and the different stakeholders are made

environmentally aware and responsible. Ecotourism

is tourism that is focused on the preservation and protection of the natural environment.

METHODOLOGY

The study was conducted in the Municipality

of Calatagan, Batangas Province from June 2007 to March 2008. Secondary data on Calatagan’s

municipal profile, Comprehensive Land Use Plan

(CLUP), and existing tourism destinations were

used. These information were obtained from the

Journal of Environmental Science and Management Vol. 12. No. 2 (December 2009)

Figure 1. Carrying Capacity as a Tool for Sustainable Tourism

Tourism

Industry

Environmental

Supporters

Community/

Local

Authorities

E

C

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Municipal Planning and Development Office. Primary data were gathered using survey

questionnaires from sample respondents that

were randomly selected from the coastal barangays

with the top tourist destinations. Respondents consisted of all barangay captains (village chiefs)

who served as key informants, eight resort owners/

managers, and 42 tourists from different resorts. Perceptions, attitudes and behavior of the

respondents with regard to conservation were

solicited. Formal group discussion (FGD) with the agriculture and environment officer (MAO/

MENRO), Bantay Dagat officer, MFARMC and

fisherfolks, was also employed. Analyses using

projections, frequency counting and averages were done. Additional demand for water and impact

to solid waste management brought about by

tourism development, were likewise projected. Carrying capacities for swimming area were

computed using the formula of Boullon (1985),

as cited in Libosada (1998). The formula to estimate the tourism carrying capacity in a swimming area

is as follows:

Carrying Capacity =

Area used by tourists (i.e., swimming area)

Average Individual Standard

Rotation Coefficient=

No. of daily hours area is open to tourist Average time of visit

The total number of allowed daily visits is then computed by:

Total Daily Visit=

Carrying Capacity x Rotation Coefficient

In this estimation of the carrying capacity, the following assumptions were made:

1. The swimming area was equal to the shore length (48 km) x distance from the shore

seaward (0.2 km). The swimming area is then

equal to 9.6 km2 or 9,600,000 m2 2. Different average individual standards were

used for exploration:

a. The average individual standard of 500 m2

(as adopted from Boullon 1985); and b. The standards in the Visitor Carrying

Capacity Guidelines used by the Florida

Department of Environmental Protection,

Division of Recreation and Parks, with the area requirement for swimming activity

of 50-200 ft2 of water per swimmer.

The Study Area

Calatagan is a third class municipality in Batangas province (Figure 2). There are 25

barangays in the town, 19 of which are coastal

barangays. Increasing population growth and

human activities in the area in the past few years, coupled with industrialization of nearby

towns, have caused undue pressures on the

environment, particularly on coastal resources (Rapid Area Assessment of Calatagan, Batangas

2007). Moreover, tourism is one of the potential

income-generators of the municipality. Tourist spots in Calatagan are known not only in the

municipality but also internationally (CLUP of

Calatagan 2001). The land use in Calatagan is

shown in Table 1.

Calatagan can be reached by land using

private vehicles or public utility buses via 120 km of first class road from Manila. There is a

private airport being maintained one km north

of Calatagan town.

Calatagan has a Type I climate. The dry season

generally starts from November and continues

to April. The rainy season begins in May and ends in October. The annual average temperature

is 27°C. The rainy season is usually accompanied

by typhoons and monsoons. Calatagan is rich in natural resources. It has beautiful beaches

characterized by coralline sand, mangrove areas,

fishponds and prawn ponds. Marine resources

include coral reefs consisting of coralline sand or muddy bottom, coral communities, mangroves

and sea grass communities.

The most recent study on seagrasses was

conducted by Conservation International in

2007. The study showed that the diversity, abundance and growth rate of seagrasses in

Calatagan, Batangas are comparable with

seagrass beds in other areas such as Cagayancillo

Beach Carrying Capacity Assessment of Coastal Ecotourism in Calatagan, Batangas

and Balabac in Palawan and Bolinao in Pangasinan (CI 2007).

Calatagan mangroves covered 132.8 ha in

1950 (CLUP 2001). However, based on a study by Bravo (2001), the remaining patches of

mangroves in Calatagan were only 18 ha. People

go to Calatagan to see the vastness of the coral reefs along its municipal waters. The coral reefs

on the west side of Balayan Bay in Calatagan, Batangas is a fringing-type. It is the largest in the

area measuring about 8 km in length and 3 km in

width. The reef crest is exposed during the

low-tide. The reef slope gradually increases in depth becoming a coral inhabiting zone. There

are 104 different kinds of coral species in Calatagan.

The municipal waters covers 947 ha with 66.3% good coral cover.

15

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Figure 2. Location map of Calatagan, Batangas, 2008.

Land Use Area (ha) Percent

Agricultural 6,698.0766 63.62

Open grasslands 1,768.5561 16.80

Planned unit development 871.0806 8.27

Swamps, fishponds & bodies of water 417.2529 3.96

Built up areas 391.6375 3.72

Tourism 197.9243 1.88

Roads 143.3610 1.36

Industrial / Eco Zones 40.0000 0.38

Total 10,527.8890 100.0

Table1. Land Use in Calatagan, Batangas, 2001

Source: Assessors Office/Office of the Municipal Planning & Development Coordinator (in CLUP, 2001)


RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The Municipal Planning and Development

Officer (MPDO) is the designated Tourism Officer

of Calatagan. According to the Tourism Officer, there are seven resorts existing in Calatagan.

However, looking at the list of registered businesses

in Calatagan for 2007, only three of them were registered. Also, Calatagan had no Tourism Zoning

map as of the time of the interview. The following

are primary data gathered through interviews of resort owners, tourists and key informants:

The Resort Owners

To find out the existing beach resorts in

Calatagan, it was best to get the information from

the different barangay captains who served as the key informants. According to the key informants

interviewed, there were about 20 beach resorts in

Calatagan. The locations of these resorts were plotted in Figure 3.

Out of the 20 existing beach resorts in

Calatagan, only eight of the resort-owners/managers agreed to be interviewed. According to the

respondents, the average year in operation of the

resorts in Calatagan was 6 years. The oldest was established in 1990 and the most recent was in

2006. The average size of the resorts was 14.03

ha, ranging from 800 m2 to 92 ha (Table 2). The

average number of employees was 14, ranging from 1 to 46. The respondents claimed that most

of their employees were residents of Calatagan,

helping the community by providing employment. The average net income of the resorts was PhP

290,714 per year. The lowest amounted to PhP

35,000 while the highest was PhP 5 M yr-1.

However, only three of the existing resorts

were registered. This translates to income loss for

the local government. Majority of the respondents claimed that the peak months of their operation

fall during summer time from March to May, and

the rest of the year (June to February) the lean months. During peak months, the average number

of tourists registered per resort was 1,570 mo-1

and 112 mo-1 during lean months. The average

16

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Figure 3. Tourism Map of Calatagan, Batangas, 2008.

Table 2. Summary profile of resorts in Calatagan, Batangas, 2008.

Particulars Average Response

Number of resorts 42

Years in operation 6

Range 1990-2006

Size of resort 14.03 ha

Range 800 m2 – 92 ha

No. of employees 14

Range 1 – 46

Net income per year Php 290,714.29

Range Php 35,000 – 500,000

Peak months March to May

Lean months June to February

No. of visitors per month

Peak – average 1570

Peak – range 320 – 3000

Lean – average 112

Lean – range 4 – 300

Foreign guests 17.5%

Maximum resort capacity 173


maximum capacity of the resorts was 173 persons day-1 based on the resorts’ facilities.

Some of the respondents were the resort

managers representing the owners, because the owners were actually not residents of Calatagan.

They came from different provinces or

municipalities, had acquired large tracts of land along Calatagan coasts and developed the area

into resorts. The resort owners were not living in

Calatagan and come only to Calatagan during weekends, the most frequent they could, to monitor

their businesses. Some of the owners were neither

born in Calatagan nor residents of Calatagan.

The Tourists

Majority of the tourist-respondents (52%) originated from within Batangas and nearby

provinces such as Laguna, Cavite Bulacan and

the Metro Manila. Others came from Northern Luzon (Pangasinan and Pampanga) and Mindanao

(Cotabato and Surigao del Sur). According to the

resort-owners, about 20% of their visitors were

foreign tourists. During the time of interview, the researcher was able to interview Korean tourists

(17%) who said to be staying in Laguna.

Tourists chose to go to Calatagan for various

reasons. These included peaceful and serene

community (19%), beautiful beaches (19%), rich

marine resources such as beautiful coral reefs (14%), and for diving and snorkeling activities

(11%). Others mentioned its clean air and

environment (13%) (Table 3). These could be because Calatagan is not yet populated, having a

population of 48,873 (2007 figure) and a gross

population density of 5 persons ha-1 (computed using 2007 population). With this knowledge,

the local government should prepare measures

how to preserve its marine resources and other

attractive assets/qualities of Calatagan for ecotourism to be sustainable.

Majority of the tourist-respondents had their own reasons for choosing the resort of their

destination (64%) while the rest (36%) had no

idea and depended only on referral by friends who had been there or had known the manager or

through the internet search. Tourists go to a beach

resort for various leisure activities (Table 4). This

intention affects their choice of the resort. Topping the list of activities was swimming in

the sea (31%), snorkel/dive (18%) and to go

boating (13%). For those who love to go diving

and snorkeling, the most important for them was the beauty and availability of corals and different

fishes (62%). Other factors considered include

the beauty of the sea under and clear and clean sea water (Table 5).

Since the availability and beauty of coral reefs topped the requirements of the tourists who

love to dive and snorkel, the characteristics of

corals they most liked are shown in Table 6.

According to majority of the respondents, the corals should be colorful (26%), healthy and

alive (21%), big (21%), with many fishes that

dwell in it (16%), and of different varieties (11%). Majority of the respondents believed that

it is important to conserve and protect the corals

(71%), while the rest had no idea for its importance. While for those who love to go swimming in the

sea, beauty of the sea under is also important

(5%). Many qualified what make up the beauty

under the sea (Table 7). Mostly mentioned was the richness and color of corals (25%), the

cleanness of the sea, including the beach and the

clearness of water (20%), and to be able to see dolphins, colorful fishes and some other under

water creatures (18%), and shells (13%). Off-shore,

the factors mentioned include fine/white sand (10%)

and the depth of water, safe enough for children.

17 Journal of Environmental Science and Management Vol. 12. No. 2 (December 2009)

Table 3. Reasons why tourists choose to go to Calatagan, Batangas, 2008.

Reason Number Percent

peace & serenity 16 19

beautiful beaches 16 19

beautiful coral reefs 12 14

clean air and environment 11 13

good diving /snorkeling sites 9 11

not yet populated/good

retirement area

8 10

proximity 6 7

referred by friends 3 4

trying new/different places 3 4

Total 84 100

The Tourists’ Perceived Status of Marine

Resources

The tourists rated the status of marine resources

in Calatagan, Batangas (Table 8). They were asked to rate selected marine resources from 1-5,

with “1” as the lowest or poorest condition and

“5” as the highest or in excellent condition. The beaches got the highest rating of 4.07, followed

by coral reefs and sea grasses (3.95), fish (3.77),

mangroves (3.71) and sea weeds (3.67). This shows that the tourist-respondents considered

marine resources of Calatagan on the average, to

be in good condition. In this respect, the resort-

owners, environmental supporters and local authorities should work hand in hand in

maintaining these assets if not to improve them.

The Tourists’ Perception on Tourism Promotion

Majority of the respondents (71%) believed

that Calatagan is a good place to promote ecotourism because the place is not yet populated,

has rich coastal resources, beautiful beaches and

clean waters. They also mentioned that Calatagan

18

Activities Number Percent Swim in the sea 34 31

Snorkel/dive 20 18

Boating 14 13

Collect shells 11 10

Nature trip/identify species 11 10

Swim in the pool 8 5

Fishing 7 5

Collect corals 4 3

Relax and enjoy food/

family bonding

4 3

Total 110 100

Table 4. Activities the tourists want to do in a beach resort, Calatagan, Batangas, 2008.

Factors Number Percent

Availability and beauty of coral

reefs and fishes

24 62

Beauty of the sea under 7 18

Clean/clear sea water 4 10

Not too deep/safety 2 5

For training/know how to dive 2 5

Total 39 100

Table 5. Important factors for diving and snorkeling, Calatagan, Batangas, 2008.

Table 6. Most liked about corals, Calatagan, Batangas, 2008.


Colorful 5 26

Live corals 4 21

Big corals 4 21

Many colorful fishes that live/

hide in corals

3 16

Many kinds of varieties to see/

appearance

2 11

What corals are for (their pur-

pose)

1 5

Total 19 100


Rich/colorful corals 10 25

Clean/clear sea/water/beach 8 20

Dolphins, fishes, sea urchins,

other spp.

7 18

Shells 5 13

Fine/white sand 4 10

Know how to swim 2 5

Beauty of the sea under 2 5

Shallow water for kids/safety 2 5

Total 40 100

Table 7. Important factors for swimming, Calatagan, Batangas, 2008.

Table 8. Rating of the status of marine resources, Calatagan, Batangas, 2008.

Factors Rating

Beaches 4.07

Coral reefs 3.95

Sea grass 3.95

Fish 3.77

Mangroves 3.71

Sea weeds 3.67


has a strong and active Bantay Dagat and that people are organized. However, majority of the

respondents feared that promotion of mass tourism

in Calatagan may cause coastal environmental

damage (50%). Thirty-six percent believed otherwise, while the rest (14%) had no idea (Figure 4).

Reasons cited in Table 9 include possible

environmental degradation that would result to damage of corals/fish habitat (59%), waste

disposal problem (19%), disturbance to environment

like trees being cut to give way to the construction of infrastructure (14%).

It can be noticed that tourists coming to

Calatagan had in mind the good physical qualities of the place that made them decide where to go.

Majority of them were environment conscious.

Promoting ecotourism in Calatagan would be easier with this kind of mindset of the tourists.

Carrying Capacity Assessment

Availability of facilities and infrastructure

The majority of visitors in Calatagan found the transportation and infrastructural facilities, as

satisfactory or good. Different modes of

transportation can be used in going to Calatagan, either private or public. Buses and jeepneys are

available public transport, and the roads are in

good condition. All the resorts surveyed had their own sewage tanks. The resorts have toilets that

are flushed with freshwater.

Water Supply

Presently, there is no waterworks system in

the municipality. People procure water from sources like shallow wells, artesian wells and

deep wells. Resorts and other establishments

have their own water tanks to supply the needs of their clientele. Other residents have installed

hand-pumps for their domestic use. Based on the

Calatagan CLUP (2001), the projected water

requirement for Calatagan is shown in Table 10. The projected demand for daily water consump-

tion was based on the projected population and

per capita consumption of 75 li day-1. According to the majority of tourist-respondents, the quality

and availability of fresh (tap) water in the resorts

were good. From 1-5 rating, with 5 the highest

(excellent) and 1 the lowest (very poor) the respondents gave an average rating of 3.89 (very

good) for availability of water and 3.87 (very

good) for the quality. Generally, at present, there is no water problem in Calatagan, both in terms

of quantity and quality.

Tourism Projection and Its Demand for Water

The average number of tourists registered per

resort during lean months is 112 and 1,570 during peak months. Given these figures, it is assumed

that in 10 years time, the tourism industry in

Calatagan will be on its peak. According to the Department of Tourism (DOT), there was a

126% increase in the number of tourists that

visited the province of Batangas from 2006 to 2007. Hence, conservative estimate using 10%

annual growth of tourism in Calatagan, there will

be doubling of the number of tourists visiting


may caus e

damage

50%may not c aus e

damage

36%

no idea

14%

Figure 6. Perception on tourism promotion.

Table 9. Respondents’ perception on the development of resorts to cause coastal environmental damage, Calatagan, Batangas, 2008.

Feared Factors Number Percent

Damage to fish habitat/corals 13 59

Waste disposal problem 4 19

Disturbance of environment/

trees cutting for infrastructure

3 14

Specimen collection 1 5

Will drain underground water 1 5

Total 22 100

Calatagan from 2007 to 2016. By 2010, there would be a total of 2,981 tourists coming to

Calatagan during lean months and 41,793 during

peak months. The computed demand for water by

the tourists would be 223,608 l during lean months and 3,134,505 li during peak months by

2010 (Table 11). The additional demand for water

by the tourists would be 0.17 percent of the total demand for water by the populace of Calatagan

and tourists during lean months, and 2.38 percent

during peak months. Fresh water supply can be considered adequate to meet present and near

future needs of Calatagan populace and tourism. However, it is recommended that the focus

should be on upgrading and improving existing

water supply facilities to maintain the carrying

capacity and ensure continued visitor satisfaction. Water use conservation should also be emphasized.

Solid Waste Management

Solid wastes of Calatagan were being

dumped in an open dumpsite with an area of 0.440 ha. The dumpsite is located in Purok 4 in

Poblacion which is 350 m away from the nearest

bodies of water. As cited in the City Development

Strategy Report of Santiago City (2005), average daily waste generation is 0.7 m3 per person.

According to the HLURB planning guidelines

and standards (as cited from the CLUP of San

Juan, Batangas 2001), the area of a dumpsite

should be one ha per 30,000 population. In the

case of Calatagan, with a population of 48,873 (2007), the area of the dumpsite should be 1.63

ha. Without considering yet the effect of tourism,

the area of the dumpsite of Calatagan was

undersized based on the standard. With the anticipation of booming tourism industry, the

LGU should take steps to address the solid waste

disposal problem. Besides, the LGU should comply

20

Year Population Water Consumption

(li day-1)

2001 46,151 3,461,250

2002 47,259 3,544,425

2003 48,395 3,629,625

2004 49,558 3,716,850

2005 50,749 3,806,175

2006 51,968 3,897,600

2010 57,146 4,285,950

Table 10. Projected Daily Water Demand, Ca-latagan, Batangas, 2001 – 2010.

Source: CLUP of Calatagan, 2001.

2007 2008 2009 2010

Population 57,146

Number of Tourists

Lean Months 2,240 2,464 2,710 2,981

Peak Months 31,400 34,540 37,994 41,793

Demand for Water (li)

Population 128,578,500

Tourists

Lean Months 168,000 184,800 203,280 223,608

Peak Months 2,355,000 2,590,500 2,849,550 3,134,505

Percent to Total Water Demand

Lean Months 0.17

Peak Months 2.38

Values per month

Table 11. Projected water demand of tourism in Calatagan by year 2010.

Assumption: consumption is 75 li day-1 person-1



with the provision of the Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003) on the conversion of open dumpsite

into controlled dumpsite and finally the use of

sanitary land fill. Solid waste management must

also be encouraged by promoting reduction in the generation of waste. The LGU in cooperation

with the resort owners should implement a proper

education scheme for visitors on the reduction of waste and promote civic consciousness among

tourists, as well as implement an appropriate

waste segregation and recycling program to improve the carrying capacity.

Reef Carrying Capacity

Since tourists intended activities include diving/

snorkeling, the focus of attraction is the coral

reefs. The coral reef ecosystem is extremely vulnerable to both natural and anthropogenic factors/

stressors. Globally, reefs are now receiving

increasing pressure from both the expansion of reef tourism, and land-based activities. According

to Menez and Cabansag (2007), parameters sampled

for the five sanctuaries and adjacent reefs of

Calatagan shows a reef ecosystem that is highly impacted. Poor land management and over fishing

including the use of destructive methods combine

to cause the degradation of coastal habitats. According to Lim (1998), factors that could affect

the reef carrying capacity that are related to diving

and snorkeling are:

a) Level of experience of snorkelers/divers

Novice divers frequently stand on corals to rest, or blunder against them, and thus are more likely

to damage fragile reef structures.

b) Accessibility

This is determined by the distance of a reef from

the dive shops, or ease of location (locating a submerged patch reef can be a problem). This

implies that a reef can have a relatively high

carrying capacity simply by being difficult to locate.

In Calatagan, there were no moorings or marker buoys visible. However, the Master Diver

and the boat operator were familiar about the

nearest location of coral reef were the diver/

snorkeler tourists will be brought to. For intro divers and novice snorkelers, they will be taken

to a shallower reef that would be about 20-30 m

deep.

c) Attractions

An aesthetically pleasing reef with interesting marine life will automatically have a lower carrying

capacity, particularly if it is easily accessible, as

popularity would put increasing pressure on the reef. Increasing reef carrying capacity does not

imply taking steps to increase the numbers of reef

users; instead increasing reef carrying capacity

means taking appropriate management actions that will ensure that minimal degradation to the

coral reefs occur despite them being exploited as

a tourist attraction (Lim 2007). This means that tourism in Calatagan can still capitalize on the

beauty and attraction of the reefs but should have

management strategies in place so as not to compromise the ecological condition of the reefs.

CARRYING CAPACITY ESTIMATION

Swimming Area

Some of the tourist-respondents go to the beach resort on a day-tour, some spent overnight,

and some spent their weekends in the resort. On

the average, tourists spent 10 hrs in the resort

doing recreation activities such as swimming, snorkeling and diving, and the resorts are open to

visitors 24 hrs a day. Adopting Boullon’s

standard, results were as follows: 1) carrying capacity was 19.2; 2) Rotation Coefficient was 3;

thus, 3) average daily visits was 58. This means

that using the standard area requirement per swimmer of 500 m2 the number of daily visitors

or tourists should not exceed 58. However, the

average individual standard used by Boullon

seems so big for Philippine standards. As observed in the beach resorts in Calatagan, people

in the water are within reach and conversation, at

about 2-10 meters away from the others.

According to the Visitor Carrying Capacity

Guidelines used by the Florida Department of

Environmental Protection, Division of Recreation

and Parks, the area requirement for swimming

activity is 4.65-9.30 m2 of water per swimmer. If

we use the upper limit of 9.30 m2, the CC will be 522, and the daily visitors would be 1,565. Using

the lower limit of 4.65 m2, the CC and the

maximum daily visitors will be 2,087 and

6,261, respectively.

Using the data of 2007, the number of daily

visits during lean months (June to February) is 75 and 1027 for peak months (March to May)

(Figures 5a, 6a and 7a). By 2010, projections

show that the number of daily visits will be 99 and 1393 for lean months and peak months,

respectively (Figures 5b, 6b and 7b). Using

Boullon’s standard, the results imply that for both

2007 and the projection for 2010, the average actual daily visits either during lean or peak

22

Figure 5b. Carrying capacity and tourism flow in Calatagan, 2010 (Using Boullon’s Stan-dard 500 m2 per swimmer).

Figure 5a. Carrying capacity and tourism flow in Calatagan, 2007 (Using Boullon’s Stan-dard 500 m2 per swimmer).

months, are way beyond the tourism carrying capacity in terms of swimming area (Figures 5a

and 5b). However, using both the lower limit and

upper limit of the standards for swimming area

per swimmer by the Florida Department of

Environmental Protection, the actual number of

visitors either during lean or peak months for the

current year, were still very much below the carrying capacity of Calatagan, Batangas (Figures

6a and 7a. Similarly, using the projected data

for tourist inflow by 2010, the carrying capacity is still way above the actual number of visitors

using the lower limit of 4.65 m2 (Figure 7b).

However, using the upper limit of 9.30 m2, the

actual daily visitors exceed the carrying capacity during peak months (Figure 6b).


23

Figure 6a. Carrying capacity and tourism flow in Calatagan, 2007 (Using 9.30 m2 per swimmer).

Figure 6b. Carrying capacity and tourism flow in Calatagan, 2010 (Using 9.30 m2 per swimmer).

Figure 7a. Carrying capacity and tourism flow in Calatagan, 2007 (Using 4.65 m2 per swimmer).


24

Figure 7b. Carrying capacity and tourism flow in Calatagan, 2010 (Using 4.65 m2 per swimmer).

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

From Metro Manila, the nearest coastal resort

centers are located in the provinces of Batangas,

Cavite, and Quezon in Southern Luzon. In the province of Batangas, developed tourist

destinations nearer to Manila are in Nasugbu and

Lian. And now, Calatagan, a town next to Lian is being discovered as a new tourist destination.

Calatagan offers a place that is not yet densely

populated, with clean and peaceful environment and pristine marine resources.

Beaches are highly valuable tourist resources

therefore, determining their capacity is an essential factor for their sensible use and management

(Silva, undated). Negative environmental impacts

of tourism include pollution (e.g. sewage, litter, sedimentation, sunscreens), resource depletion

driven by tourist demand (e.g. for seafood or

souvenirs), clearing of mangroves to develop tourism infrastructure, human disturbance of

organisms, tour boat anchoring, and trampling on

corals and seagrasses (Orams 1999; UNEP 2003;

as cited in Roman et al., 2007).

Calatagan is still young in the tourism business.

Based on the tourism projection and estimation of carrying capacity for swimming area until

2010, the actual average daily visitors are still

very much within the carrying capacity the whole

year round, using the standard in the Visitor Carrying

Capacity Guidelines used by the Florida Department

of Environmental Protection, Division of Recreation

and Parks. However, using Boullon’s standard, the actual average daily visitors are way beyond

the carrying capacity throughout the year, but

most especially during peak months (March to

May). For the resort-owners, the peak months are good business months, their most profitable

months. There is now a big question on how to

mitigate the possible negative effects on the environment that can be brought about by the

expected boom in tourism industry. Carrying

by beach resort owners. For them, the limiting of rooms or beds available to accommodate them,

and not the physical or biotic carrying capacity

for swimming area.

The understanding of fundamental differences

between carrying capacity types and how to link

and integrate them within management plans was enabled. Different researches came up with

different standards. It also illustrated the difficulties

in producing a universal carrying capacity formula, which can be applied in any beach indiscriminately.

Nevertheless, the limitations encountered do not

question the validity of these studies, as they are

evidently of great importance for beach management and thus should be used in a flexible way, fully

adapted to the existing specific site condition.

Based on the ocular observation during the conduct of the survey, the standard of 50 ft2 – 200 ft2 per

swimmer was found more suited to the Calatagan

scenario and probably, to the Philippine scenario

as well.

For carrying capacity to be a useful tool for


tourism planning and management, it should not be approached in a mechanistic manner (i.e. trying

to determine a "magic number"), but should

rather be seen as a means of identifying thresholds

that require attention, and as an optional form of controlling the system through the imposition of

partial or complete limits (Getz 1983).

The following are some recommendations

that could help prevent the degradation of

Calatagan’s coastal environment:

1. Information and Education Campaign (IEC).

First and foremost is the education and

information campaign to be done by the LGU along with the concerned government agencies

like the Department of Tourism (DOT) and

the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The people in Calatagan,

especially the stakeholders, should be informed

of the importance of natural resources and how they could be protected, conserved and

preserved. In this way, the people can also

inform the tourists coming to Calatagan of

protecting and conserving the ecological system (e.g., through videos or slide shows on the

marine environment). On the other hand, the

resort owners must have planned activities towards environmental conservation and

protection (i.e., coastal clean up; putting

signages or warnings against getting souvenirs,

proper waste disposal, etc.). Thus, the true sense of ecotourism would be promoted and

would not be in conflict with the ecosystem.

2. Effective monitoring of the LGU of the “underground” resorts, meaning, those operating

in the guise of “for private use only”. Penalties

for those operating without license should be imposed. As far as the records of licensed

resorts to operate in Calatagan, Batangas, only

three were registered. This means income loss

for the local government and an obstacle to effective monitoring.

3. For effective monitoring of new entrants to

the tourism business, new resorts to be established should conduct Environmental

Impact Assessment (EIA) and acquire

certification from DENR, such as the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).

4. Effective implementation of the environmental

code should be done. Some resort owners

mentioned problems with increasing siltation of the waters near the shore. It was said to be

due to the construction and development

activities in some of the new resorts. There

should be mitigating measures on how to avoid this. Management of construction

wastes/debris should be in place. Also,

construction of structures should adhere to Riparian Code or buffer zone so as to avoid

coastal erosion and landscape degradation.

5. Resort owners should provide guided snorkeling activities, and the use of glass-bottomed boat

rides should be considered. This will be an

alternative for novice snorkelers to prevent

close contact to the coral and thus, will prevent coral damage.

6. Participatory approach. The community, as

stakeholders, should also be involved in the formulation and implementation of the various

environmental programs. As part of the process,

they need to do their part to protect what they know belongs to them. In their own little way,

they can help in keeping their environment

clean and by policing those activities that can

cause degradation of the coastal environment. 7. Legislation and enforcement. Knowing the

limits on our environment, Calatagan legislators

can now make ordinances that would protect and conserve coastal zones. However, these

ordinances should be accompanied by effective

enforcement. This is now left with the political

will of the LGU. 8. Support from all stakeholders, such as the

resort-owners, the local people, environmental

supporters, NGO’s, pr ivate groups or individuals, along with the local and national

government like DENR, BFAR for the success

of all efforts towards environment protection.

Some limitations of this study include the

computation of ecological or biotic carrying

capacity which requires inputs from different experts. This study is not an end to itself. The

author intends to continue conducting the study

to develop a model of carrying capacity best suited to Calatagan coastal tourism conditions,

and consequently applicable to other coastal

tourism conditions in the Philippines.

Journal of Environmental Science and Management Vol. 12. No. 2 (December 2009) 25

26

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Documents

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