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Agence France-Presse

American children’s television network Nickelodeon said on Wednesday it had abandoned plans for a themed resort on an island known as the Philippines’ last ecological frontier following a backlash from environmentalists.
Nickelodeon said in January that it would build an “undersea attraction and resort” on Palawan that would let fans “interact with ... the iconic characters they love”, including SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer.

The announcement triggered fierce criticism from conservationists who said it would destroy the area’s world-famous marine ecosystem, and an online petition calling for the project to be scrapped attracted more than 260,000 signatures.
Viacom International Media Networks, which owns Nickelodeon, said on Wednesday it had abandoned the project.
“[Viacom] and Nickelodeon will no longer be involved with this proposed development,” the company said in a statement.

Viacom said the decision was “mutually agreed” with its Philippine partner, Coral World Park.
The statement did not say why Viacom had pulled out and its regional spokeswoman would not elaborate.
Conservation groups call Palawan “the last frontier” because of its pristine coastlines and forests, which are among the oldest and most diverse in Southeast Asia.
It is home to two Unesco World Heritage-listed sites, a subterranean river and the Tubbataha coral reefs.

Viacom’s initial statement in January promoted the project as its first resort in Southeast Asia that “would give a significant business opportunity for our partners across multiple platforms”.
However Viacom and Coral World Park also highlighted the project’s “ocean conservation focus” and plans for a giant marine sanctuary.
Environmental group Greenpeace on Wednesday hailed Viacom’s decision as a victory.
“We commend Viacom for heeding the call of more than 200,000 online petitioners and the offline community campaign,” Vince Cinches of Greenpeace Southeast Asia said.
“They were able to dodge the bullet that has a huge reputational backlash for Nickelodeon which has been claiming it is children oriented.”

The Nickelodeon resort was meant to be part of Coral World Park’s 400-hectare development.
Coral World Park did not immediately say whether it would pursue the project following Viacom’s withdrawal.
The executive director of environmental group Save Philippine Seas, Anna Oposa, said the campaign against the development would not stop.
“Our position and strategy will not change: we’ll continue to call on the local government of Coron and provincial government of Palawan to reject the project,” she said.


Nickelodeon scraps Philippine theme resort plans after complaints from conservationists

Dora the Explorer (centre) may not be going to Palawan. Photo: AP/Nickelodeon

Photo: Coral World Park

TO GO WITH Philippines-environment-rights-tourism-Palawan FEATURE by Karl Malakunas In a photo taken on February 18, 2011 tourist boat enter an underground river in Puerto Princesa in Palawan. For tourists the Philippine island of Palawan seems like paradise, but for environment activists it feels more akin to a battlefield. Murders and threats on what is promoted as the Southeast Asian nation's last ecological frontier are emblematic of a struggle across the country, where dozens of environment campaigners have been killed over the past decade. AFP PHOTO/NOEL CELIS

SAN VICENTE'S LONG BEACH

Left to right: Squidward Tentacles, Sandy Cheeks, SpongeBob SquarePants and Mr. Krabs in SPONGEBOB: SPONGE OUT OF WATER, from Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies.

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