As you deplane at El Nido Airport (Philiphines), you'll come across this sign.
TEN EL NI-DO’S
DO ADMIRE
THE CORALS BUT REMEMBER THAT THEY ARE VERY DELICATE. DAMAGED WHEN TOUCHED, STOOD UPON OR WALKED ON.
DO TREAT
THE TERRESTRIAL AND MARINE FAUNA AS YOU WOULD PEOPLE - BE FRIENDLY YET RESPECT THEIR PRIVACY.
DO REMEMBER
TO BRING HOME WHATEVER YOU BROUGHT IN TO EL NIDO. BEACH LITTER IS MADE UP MOSTLY OF PLASTICS AND OTHER NON BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS.
DO HELP
KEEP THE WATERS OF EL NIDO CRYSTAL CLEAR, THE SAND POWDER WHITE AND THE FOREST LUSH AND GREEN, CIGARETTE BUTTS, ALUMINUM CANS AND PLASTIC WRAPPERS BELONG IN TRASH BINS, THEY ARE NON-BIODEGRADABLE AND ARE SOMETIMES EATEN BY BIRDS AND OTHER ANIMALS MISTAKING THEM FOR FOOD.
DO ADMIRE
THE UNIQUE AND PECULIARLY SHAPED MARINE AND TERRESTRIAL FORMATIONS, YET LEAVE THEM AS THEY ARE SO THAT OTHERS MAY MARVEL AT THEIR BEAUTY AS WELL. AS MANY AS THEY MAY SEEMS, THE SHELLS ON THE BEACH ARE FINITE IN NUMBER.
DO MINGLE
WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY BUT RESPECT THEIR CULTURE AND TRADITIONS.
DO UNDERSTAND
THAT ALL THINGS ARE RELATED TO EVERYTHING-EVERY SINGLE ORGANISM AND OBJECT HAS ITS PARTICULAR ROLE AND CONTRIBUTION TO THE ENVIRONMENT.
DO MAKE
A PERSONAL COMMITMENT TO LIVE AN ENVIRONMENTALLY ETHICAL LIFE-IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO OURSELVES, OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN, AND THE EARTH AS A WHOLE.
DO ACCEPT
THE RESPONSIBILITY TO SUSTAIN AND HEAL THE EARTH: WHATEVER WE SOW, WE SHALL REAP-THERE IS NO OTHER WAY WITH NATURE.
DO RESPECT
ALL FORMS OF LIFE AND RECOGNIZE THE LIMITS OF EL NIDO’S LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS, TOGETHER WE CAN HELP KEEP EL NIDO’S RESOURCES AS RICH AS IT IS NOW.
“TAKE NOTHING BUT PHOTOGRAPHS, LEAVE NOTHING BUT FOOTPRINTS. BRING NOTHING BUT MEMORIES. KILL NOTHING BUT TIME.”