Tourism Development Guidelines And Standards

TOURISM DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS

Guidelines on Noise 

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Cottages, restaurants, bars, disco-pubs and stores must be separated from each other at a distance which will reduce the incoming noise to a tolerable level. The target sound level for an area to be considered quiet is 20 to 30 decibels. Establishments which are sources of loud activities such as bars, disco-pubs and restaurants should either have enclosing walls that reduce outgoing sound levels or a surrounding row of trees planted closely together to act as a noise screen. If buffer plantings used, then the depth of planting depending on the height and density should be from 6

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If the distance between the noise source and other cottages are close and buffer plantings cannot be done, then the activity causing the noise should terminate by midnight. If the cause of noise is loud music, then owners or managers of places where loud music is played should shift to soft music come midnight. Owners of equipment (i.e. electric elevators) that cause excessive noise should enclose these equipment on containers or housings

Guidelines on Landscaping and Tree Protection 

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All existing trees with a trunk diameter of 4 inches and above shall be preserved. Important trees, particularly coconut trees, as determined in a size survey shall be protected from indiscriminate felling through the issuance of preservation orders. When a tree subject to this order is removed or destroyed, the owner shall be made to pay a fine twice the value of the appropriate size and species in the same place.

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Owners constructing cottages and other structures must be able to show proof when asked that the wood being used did not come from the forests of the island. Color plantings shall be achieved through the use of shrubs , herbs, and ground cover materials. Use of said plantings, however, should not cross over the shorelines setback. The eligibility of desired vegetation shall be heightened by regular cleaning and removal of undesirable

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If there is a need to improve the view corridor of trails or cottages along hillsides, pruning of the branches of covering trees (but not so much as to kill trees) or of shrubs to waist level can be resorted to but never the total cutting or removal of the vegetation. Screen and hedges should be utilized whenever possible for following purposes: To  To  To  To 

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screen service areas accommodate changes in levels give privacy demarcate boundaries and areas

To direct pedestrian circulation  To form spaces by enclosing or dividing areas  To channel views to or away from buildings  To provide contrast in form, texture or color with buildings, paving or water 

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Guidelines for the Construction of Windbreaks 

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Windbreaks made of coconut leaves packed together to form a wall, because of its negative visual impact, shall be discouraged. Instead, the planting of appropriate vegetation for windbreaks shall be encouraged. No windbreaks, however shall be established with the 30 meter setbacks as it would close the view corridor of the cottages behind it.

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The placement of windbreaks at a distance equal about 3 times the height of trees planted seems to be the most effective. Rows of vegetation that are dense throughout their height is most effective when planted right adjacent to the cottage or structure to be protected.

GUIDELINES FOR CLEARING AND GRADING Clearing and grading of lot shall be performed in strict accordance with the approved plans and specifications . It shall not impede or existing drainage patterns .

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All areas shall be left from rubbish or litter .

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All areas graded shall be re established with approved ground vegetation .

GUIDELINES FOR TRAIL CONSTRUCTION Access footpaths shall be at least 0 . 90 - 1 . 80 meters in width The vegetation that will be removed shall only be those that must be sacrifice for the minimum recommended trail width . The maximum linear grade = 15 percent. Trails should have sloping banks to control erosion and to enable vegetation to catch quickly and cover the new cut and fill surfaces .  Where wall constructions are necessary to stabilize the side of a trail , the wall should be built on a natural rock foundation and the base of the wall should equal one - half of the height .

Where there is a steep dangerous drop off below the trail , the trail width = 2 or 2 . 5 meters.  Trails should have proper provisions for drainage . Trails and access ways shall be well defined through the use of natural barriers such as plantings and ground cover .   Trails should connect all necessary points in the simplest and most direct manner .

CRITERIA FOR RURAL ROADS Design Speed : 25 kph in mountainous areas and 60 kph in flat areas.  Minimum radius of curvature : 30 meters in mountainous areas and 100 meters in flat areas .  Maximum gradient : 15 %  Road surface : 4 - 5 meters wide with slopes of 2 - 4 % slopes towards the drains .  Width of shoulder : 1 . 5 - 2 meters with slopes of 3 - 5 % towards the drains .

Guidelines on Transportation a. No motorized vehicle shall be allowed in the island except those allowed by the Resort Estate Management for the delivery of essential services. b. Traffic shall only be allowed on the island roads and never on the roads along the beach. c. Movement through the use of motorized vehicles or animals such as horses and carabao shall not be allowed on the beaches.

Guidelines on Sewage Disposal a. Sewage disposal systems should be at least 25 meters away from shallow wells and 15 meters from deep wells. b. The design should be based on a thorough assessment of the site for percolation rate, depth of water table, drainage and flooding characteristics. c. For a sewage disposal system to work well, the slope should be from 0- 8%; the permeability class is rapid; the percolation rate is greater than 180mm/h; the depth to water table is greater than 180cm. As a rule, areas which have impeded drainage and prone to flooding should not be used for sewage disposal. d. There should be estimates of the required absorption area for drain fields and see page pits given the percolationrate. e. The depth to bedrock must be 120 meters or more below the disposal field, that is about 180 meters below the surface. f. The groundwater table must also be at least 120 meters below the disposal field. g. For assessment purposes, the potential for sewage disposal of various soils are: loan (good), clay (poor), clay loam (poor), organic (poor) and sand, sandy loam, gravel (fair).

Guidelines for Garbage Disposal a. No garbage or trash shall be permitted on any lot except in closed receptacles screened from view of any adjoining lots and common areas by a completely opaque screen which is compatible in design, color and materials with the main structures of the site, containers must be durable, water and rodent-proof, regularly inspected and emptied. b. Construction of compost pits for the disposal of organic wastes shall be encouraged. For this purpose, there shall be reserved 400 sq. meters (for single units and duplexes) and 600 sq. meters (for larger units) of open space per hectare. c. For inorganic garbage, there shall be organized a centralized garbage disposal system. A modified landfill-disposal system can be adopted. After the garbage is compacted, it should immediately covered with a layer of soil. d. The site for a dump or inorganic garbage should meet the following criteria: there are no excessive winds in the area; it is well grained slope is flat to gently rolling; soil is non-erodible; run-off does not drain towards a harmless direction and if the dump far from populated areas.

1 Guidelines for Setbacks and Buffer Zones

A . A shoreline setback will be established to extend from the high water mark to 30 meters inland .

B. Cottages and other structure should be at least 15 meters from the highest water level mark of lagoons and their channels , swamps and mangrove areas .

C. Cottages and other structures should be at least 10 meters from the foot of steep hills .

D . No activities such as clearing , grading , dredging or mining shall be allowed in these setback and buffer zones without species and prior approval from the Resort Estate Management

2 Guidelines for Density Requirements

A . The ideal density for each designated tourist village is 19 single units ( 5m x 5m ) per hectare ; 11 duplex units per hectare ; and 6 larger (4 to 5 bedrooms ) units per hectare .

B . The construction of cottages or any structure on slopes greater than 18 % shall be limited and strictly regulated

C. Cottages and other structure shall only be allowed along the foot or lower slopes with the distance between them at least three times the length of the space each occupies

D . No cottage or structure shall be allowed on the top of ridges or hills .

E . Density requirements for other designated areas shall be subject to approval by the Resort Estate Management

3 Guidelines for Site Selection

A. For construction of cottages in the tourist villages , there shall be no site chosen where the drainage impeded . These are sites that are flooded during rains .

B . As a general guide for site assessment for various land uses , the reader is referred to Soil Classification for Engineering Projects

C . For making decisions on whether certain slopes are stable or land slide prone , refer to Angles of Repose for Various Types of Slope Materials .

Guidelines for Marine Habitat a. The coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves should be assessed for the purpose of

delineating them into zones and uses appropriate to their character. The coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves in the three islands have already sustained extensive damage. There may, however, be isolated spots that are as yet undamaged. These must be identified and strictly protected. b. Establishment owners, local associations, and residents should be recruited to help guard the above habitats against destructive activities (e.g. dynamite grass-raking for shells, tree-cutting). c. The commercial selling of corals, shellsand cutting of mangrove trunks shall be prohibited. d. Decorations made from corals, shells and other marine products (i.e. marine turtle shell) shall be prohibited. e. Swimming areas shall be free from all obstructions. f. The disposal of garbage at sea shall be prohibited.

g. Boats, yachts, ships, seaplanes, helicopters or any other sea-going crafts shall be prohibited from throwing garbage, refuse, chemicals, oil or oil-slicks into the coastal waters of the island. h. The seagrass and mangrove community along the coastof the island shall be protected. While the presence of seagrasses and mangroves may subtract from the quality of the beaches in some areas because of rotting leaves washed ashore and the protruding roots which limit visitor movements, these plants are ecologically important as they are sources of detritus needed by certain marine organisms. They also provide protection to juvenile and small marine organisms during storms. Seagrasses and mangroves lessen the turbulence caused by storms covering the sand with a mat of a vegetation. I. There shall be regular monitoring of the coastal waters for pollution and contaminants.

Guidelines on Signs a. Design should draw attention yet fit within the theme or natural ambiance of the area.

b. Signs should be sufficiently visible without intruding unduly upon the scene. c. Use of natural native materials shall be. encouraged whenever possible to provide additiona~l visual interest and lessen cost. d. TEXT: a short sentence or sentences with words of few syllables uncomplicated by prefixes and suffixes. Interpretative signs should avoid being academic and if this is not possible, then such phrases should be carefully explained; both scientific and common names should be listed for plants and animals of interest. e. Lettering should be simple in form, of adequate size with the number of different sizes of letters kept to a minimum (never more than three)

f. COLOR: The following I. Select materials which can easily be cleaned, maintained and replaced. ii. Explain closures or prohibitions. “Keep Out” annoys whereas “Trail Closed to Allow Vegetation to Recover” even serve to remind visitors of their ecological responsibility. iii. Reinforce the idea that the area belongs to those who use it. People tend to protect what they consider their property. iv. Damaged areas can be turned into an exhibit to enlist visitor’s active participation in their recovery. v. If the placement of a sign on a site is so offending that it is continually vandalized, remove the sign completely.

h. Keep the site of signs always well maintained. This will heighten the sign’s legibility and render it less prone to vandalism and other forms of damage. The suggested size of lettering for signs should be determined. i. No signs whatsoever, including commercial, political or similar signs visible from adjoining properties or common or public areas shall be allowed upon any lot except for: Legal signs, For sale signs, Identification/directional signs, Construction signs, Interpretative signs Where possible, signs should be fixed to walls or other structures to minimize free standing stfuctures. Materials for signs shall be the same as those for the architectural standards set. Maximum dimensions for signs: 1.20 meters x 0.80 meters.

Guidelines on Miscellaneous Concerns a. The leasing and subleasing on any lot by the owner or lessee shall be subject to all of the restrictions set by the Resort Estate Management. b. The owner or lessee shall maintain to the satisfaction of the Resort Estate Management, all areas of his properties in accordance with the approved plans and ecological guidelines and with consideration to the areas designated as public land. If lodging areas for commercial establishments are constructed, they should be visually screened from adjoining properties by fences or walls of landscape plantings. c. Fences shall be discouraged as much as possible. Where fences are absolutely necessary, they should not mark or block the view of adjoining properties. The allowed maximum height of fences shalt only be 60 meters. Fences should not cut across channels and drainage areas. Owners shall be encouraged to use plantings and hedges as an alternative to fences. d. Show windows and displays visible from adjacent properties and common areas must be in good taste and compatible with the image of the island.

e. All pipe lines and water tanks and similar mechanical equipment required for operational use of the site facilities shall be concealed or “camouflaged” in a manner compatible to the design and color of the surroundings. f. The owner or lessee shall not permit any exterior fire whatsoever, except for baroque areas, ornamental torches, or other applications of primarily decorative nature. Establishments shall always keep ready at least two appropriate type functioning fire extinguishers. It is suggested that one be placed in the kitchen and other in a visible place where people congregate such as restaurants, bars or discos. The owner or lessee shall not allow any conditions in his lot that will create a fire hazard. The burning of trash or weeds shall be permitted only in designated areas. g. No animals (fowls included) shall be permitted within the tourist villages or resort compounds. h. Surface runoffs shall be channeled to appropriate repositories. The sides of open canals should be grass-lined. It should be free of matters that contribute to pollution and impede water flow. i. During construction, measures should be adopted t reduce quantities of dust and noise, prevent or minimize discomfort to occupants of adjoining properties and prevent accidents.

j. No structure of a temporary character, trailer or other buildings shall be allowed on any lot at any time other than during periods of construction. k. Clearance from the Resort Estate Management shall always have to be obtained prior to expansion and/or change of building use. Water supply must be potable and adequate at 60 liters per person per day. Where potability if doubtful, the water should be boiled drinking. The water sources in the area should be sampled regularly and analyzed for contaminants. m. There shall be no clearing of the grass strip between the coastal road and the beach for trails or passageways. n. Military men and police in the area shall always wear neat uniforms. They shall undertake an orientation course on how to deal with tourists and handle the peace and order of a tourist zone. o. Owners and lessees shall be held responsible for any ecological problems in their respective areas arising from the non-pursuance of these guidelines. A policy for punitive action shall be created to deal with law breakers.