Three areas in El Nido town, Palawan, have been declared "no-swim zones," the Department of Environment and Natural Resources announced Thursday.

According to Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, swimming will not be allowed in 2 areas in Bacuit Bay and an area in Corong-Corong Bay because of high levels of fecal coliform, a kind of bacteria coming from human and animal waste.

“We will continue the no-swimming areas in the 3 outfalls in Bacuit Bay, and one in Corong-Corong,” said Cimatu. An outfall is where runoff from sewage flows out.

Cimatu assured that El Nido will not be shut down like Boracay, but "the decision is that we will continue the rehabilitation."

Swimming will be banned in the coastlines of barangays Buena Suerte, Masagana and Corong-Corong, the DENR said.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said that on March 4, fecal bacteria levels in the El Nido outfall reached 3.448 million units when the standard should only be 100 units.

Masagana's outfall fecal coliform level reportedly recorded 490,000 units while Corong-Corong had 46,000.

“Ang Corong-Corong outfall . . . ang normal is 100. Maiintindihan naman nila siguro kung bakit bawal mag-swimming,” Puyat said.

Businesses and households in El Nido have been given 9 months to comply with environmental requirements. Cimatu said officials will be making the rounds in El Nido from August 5 to August 25 to check erring establishments and households.

“Iha-highlight doon 'yung mga nagva-violate ng environmental laws, walang business permit, walang accreditation ng Tourism Department . . . There might be some closure of establishments nitong mga prescribed laws for tourism,” Cimatu said.

Puyat said 119 establishments, as of Thursday, August 1, have complied.

"Ang hindi mag-comply, closure of individual establishments,” she said.

No-swim areas are still open for businesses, such as hotels and restaurants, since they can operate as landing and jump-off points for island hoppers.

Puyat said that other islands in El Nido are still safe to visit and swim in since they have acceptable levels of bacteria.

"So the tourists can still go to Small Lagoon, Big Lagoon, sa mga islands because when we tested it, way below the fecal coliform level,” Puyat said. — With a report from Chiara Zambrano, ABS-CBN News