Located at the northeastern tip of Luzon in the Philippines is a gem of an island that has been awarded the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Community-based Tourism Award three times.
Palaui Island Protected Landscape and Seascape used to be a remote island, but is now a popular ecotourism destination in Santa Ana, Cagayan, Northern Philippines. The transformation, however, did not happen overnight.
The island, located 642 kilometers from Metro Manila, was originally declared a National Marine Reserve on August 28, 1994. The protected area spans 7,145.48 hectares. In 2018, it was designated as a National Park through the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (ENIPAS) Act or Republic Act No. 11038. The protected area includes primary and secondary forests, coral reefs, intertidal zones, mangrove forests, islets, seagrass meadows, rock formations, and caves.
As much as 70% of the island is covered in forest, and it is home to threatened and near-threatened wildlife species, including the tawny-bellied babbler, dwarf kingfisher, rufous paradise flycatcher, and serpent eagle. Studies conducted by Conservation International and the University of the Philippines Institute of Biology show that the island’s flora and fauna are highly diverse, given the island’s size.
Even the marine environment shows promise for scientific research, recreational diving, and underwater photography. Experts who conducted an underwater survey in 2005 encountered species of sea slugs and snails they had never seen elsewhere. Reefs, submarine cliffs, caverns, and crevices provide niches for a wide variety of marine life forms.
With 70% forest cover and waters harboring sea slug species never recorded elsewhere, Palaui Island packs extraordinary biodiversity into a compact protected area, from threatened forest birds like the dwarf kingfisher and serpent eagle to reef systems that continue to surprise even experienced marine scientists. Photo courtesy of Blue Water.
Aside from the natural endowments, Palaui is also blessed with an outstanding cultural asset. Over at the northern side of the island is the Faro de Cabo Engaño or the Cape Engaño Lighthouse, the country’s northernmost Spanish lighthouse, built in December 1892. The National Museum has declared it an Important Cultural Property.
Perched atop the hill, this location offers visitors a panoramic view of the rugged coastline, the picturesque and uninhabited Dos Hermanos Islands, the pristine coralline beach, the vast expanse of primary forest, the lush green grassland, the distant outline of the coral reefs encircling the cove, and a perfect ocean view of both sunrise and sunset.
Farmers, fisherfolk, and their families reside on the island. As a protected area with stringent regulations on the use of natural resources, the community faces significant challenges, including limited land for farming and seasonal fishing conditions caused by monsoon winds.
Educational opportunities are scarce: only one school offers primary education, and few families can afford to send their children to high school on the mainland. Basic amenities such as electricity, roads, and medical services are lacking, and the island is vulnerable to typhoons. Despite these hardships, the island holds vast potential for ecotourism products, offering opportunities for sustainable development.
For more than eight years, the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) provided technical and financial assistance to the community on ecotourism planning and enterprise development designed to provide an economic incentive for stronger protection of the heritage of Palaui Island. The Palaui Environmental Protectors Association (PEPA) became the mother organization from which subgroups were formed, including trek guides, snorkeling guides, caterers, souvenir makers, and massage therapists.
The PEPA also partnered with a group of Dumagat residents engaged in the harvesting of wild Dorsata honey. They had been taught how to bottle and sell them to visitors as high-value products. The association also linked up with the Palaui San Vicente Motorboat Association (PASAMOBA), designated by the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) as the official boat transport to Palaui Island.
To prepare the community, several training sessions were conducted, tourism products were developed, and safety protocols and service standards were established. Three hiking trails were plotted, two of which were named after icons in ecology. The Lagunzad Trail was named after Prof. Dan Lagunzad of the UP Institute of Biology and a co-founder of the Philippine Native Plants Conservation Society, and the Leonard Co Trail after the country’s top plant taxonomist. Both esteemed conservationists passed away just a few days apart in 2010. The naming of the trails is the community’s way of acknowledging their expertise and valuable contribution to the identification of the island’s flora and fauna.
Two of Palaui Island’s hiking trails are named after pioneering Filipino conservationists Prof. Dan Lagunzad and Leonard Co, both of whom died in 2010, honoring their lasting contributions to identifying the island’s remarkable plant and animal life. Photo courtesy of Blue Water.
In 2012, Cable News Network (CNN) declared Palaui as among the top 10 beaches in the world. The TV show Survivor US produced two seasons on the island, shining a spotlight on the once-sleepy community. The exposure jump-started the arrival of tourists, resulting in financial benefits for service providers, the generation of funds for conservation, and the development of a sense of pride among the people of the island and Santa Ana.
Today, Palaui Island is a benchmark for ecotourism development and community-based approaches. It is the birthplace of the Ecotourism Philippines Business Model, a cutting-edge concept designed to uplift the lives of the marginalized members of the community while protecting the natural resources that provide livelihood.
Although the community in Palaui still faces some challenges, the journey that brought them to where they are now has paved the way for other similar destinations. Their trailblazing effort has made other communities more convinced that for tourism to work, the people need to actively participate, collaborate, and dream together for a bright future.
