Author : Martinez, Ophelia Y.

Summary : The study identified the beneficial and negative impacts of coastal tourism on the marine, socio-economic, and institutional environments of Barangay (village) Maribago, where most of the beach resorts in Lapulapu City, the Philippines are located. Similar to other beaches, its corals had been destroyed by illegal fishing (e.g., dynamite). One of the major impacts of the presence of the resorts was that they provide protection for corals in their beach fronts (generally accepted as within their jurisdiction) from further destruction. Resort operations discourage illegal fishing, thus providing the chance for corals to rejuvenate. To thrive and grow, the industry is dependent on a clean and healthy marine environment. Scuba diving, a major water recreational activity, did not seem to cause significant physical damage to corals. This could be partly explained by strategies such as providing mooring buoys by resorts, and the right perception/attitude and high level of knowledge of the users (tourists, resort operators, and employees) toward conserving marine resources. Dissolve oxygen (DO) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) levels in the two sampling stations obtained before and after the peak tourist season were within the standards for the Class SA Water Classification for Tourism Zones and Marine Parks. The total coliform (TC) count which, before the peak season was almost two times higher, went up to over 18 times than the standard of 70 MPN/100 ml immediately after the peak season. This finding was significant, considering that tourism is identified as a "smokeless" industry. In general, the community perceived tourism as economically beneficial but its presence could encourage some social ills such as prostitution and transmission of sexually transmissible diseases (STDs). Financially, it seemed that only the resort operators and employees, and "SARI-SARI" (a small retail store) owners profited from the industry. Displacement of local tourists from the beach areas which they used to frequent before.