Image of Coral World Park project in Palawan courtesy of Coral World Park/Moñozca Foundation website

Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) will no longer pursue the controversial Nickelodeon theme park in Palawan.

In a statement released Tuesday, Viacom said it has reached an agreement with Coral World Park to discontinue the licensing agreement for the theme park.

"Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) has mutually agreed with Coral World Park to discontinue the IP licensing agreement for the Nickelodeon-branded attraction and resort that was intended to be part of Coral World Park’s planned development in the western Philippine province of Palawan."

"Therefore, VIMN and Nickelodeon will no longer be involved with this proposed development. We wish Coral World Park well," VIMN also said.

The project, which was announced earlier this year, was met by criticisms from environmentalists and other groups, noting that the project could destroy the area's marine ecosystem.</s>US children's television network Nickelodeon is abandoning plans to build an underwater theme park on an island in the Philippines.

Environmentalists said the planned resort on Palawan island would damage the area's world-famous marine ecosystem.

The island is home to some of the most diverse coastlines in South East Asia.

An online petition calling for the project to be scrapped attracted more than 260,000 signatures.

Viacom International Media Networks, which owns Nickelodeon, said: "[Viacom] and Nickelodeon will no longer be involved with this proposed development".

They added that the decision was "mutually agreed" with its Philippine partner, Coral World Park.

In January, Nickelodeon said it would build a themed resort that would let fans "interact with the brand and the iconic characters they love", including SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer.

They said it would open in 2020 and feature restaurants and lounges six metres (20ft) below sea level.

It provoked a backlash from conservation groups, who call Palawan island the Philippines' "last ecological frontier" because of its relatively untouched coastlines and forests.</s>In a press statement sent to Rappler on Tuesday, August 22, Viacom says it decided to 'mutually agree' with Coral World Park (CWP) 'to discontinue the IP licensing agreement' for the said Nickelodeon-branded tourism infrastructure

PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines – Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) no longer wants to pursue the construction of its fiercely opposed Nickelodeon-branded attraction and resort in Coron town.

In a press statement sent to Rappler on Tuesday, August 22, VIMN said it decided to “mutually agree” with project developer Coral World Park (CWP) “to discontinue the IP licensing agreement” for the said Nickelodeon-branded tourism infrastructure.

“Therefore, VIMN and Nickelodeon will no longer be involved with this proposed development,” said Adeline Ong, VIMN Asia’s Senior Director of Corporate Communications.

The statement comes a few weeks after Greenpeace urged VIMN to end its partnership with CWP which the green groups found to have “no historical background of any conservation effort anywhere else in the Philippines.”

“Drop this outrageous project as early as possible, or else face a possible reputational backlash,” warned Vince Cinches, Oceans Campaigner of Greenpeace Philippines, said in a press conference in Puerto Princesa on July 27.

Cinches said the CWP had yet to submit a master plan since the global media company announced in January its plan to build the “world’s first undersea attraction and Nickelodeon’s first resort in Southeast Asia." (READ: Nickelodeon to build Philippine underwater theme park)

Slated to open in 2020, the ambitious project aimed to develop a 400-hectare area, with 70 hectares set aside for the resort’s accommodation and 30 hectares for the themed attraction.

The planned attraction drew flak from environmental and civil society organizations, including the Tagbanua Tribes of Coron Island Association, Incorporated (TTCIA), which asserted Coron was not just a place of ecological importance boasting spectacular sceneries but also a place of cultural value that needs to be preserved. (READ: Tagbanua to Nickelodeon: 'We don't need an underwater theme park in Coron')

“Chances are, we’ll not be able to do our traditional practices should we let them in,” said Armil Pe Abella, a member of Tagbanua tribe who acquired a certificate of ancestral domain title, which grants them authority over 24,264-hectare land and seascape around the municipality of Coron.

An online petition against the project had garnered over 263,000 signatures.

"Why do Coron and the Philippines need artificial attractions? Coron is already so beautiful in its natural state," said petitioner Anna Oposa, Save Philippine Seas executive director.

AA Yaptinchay, executive director of Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines, lauds VIMN for making such an announcement.

“This is a welcome development. We congratulate VIMN for discerning, not only which responsible companies they partner up with, but we hope with sincere concern on how these developments can negatively affect the natural environment,” he told Rappler.

Yaptinchay added the conservation community will remain watchful, in case the developer decides to push through with the project. “We are still cautious though that the planned development by Coral World Park is still active, possibly with a new, less responsible partner. We will be vigilant,” he added.

Cinches said VIMN’s abandonment of the project partnership with CWP is a warning to other investors who may consider engaging with the latter in the future.

“It’s not wise to partner with Coral World Park at this moment because Nickelodeon already abandoned that kind of partnership, so the [project] could not be revived anymore,” he told Rappler.

In a joint statement, conservation groups in the country urged the local government of Coron, the provincial government of Palawan, and Philippine environmental regulatory institutions to reject any potentially destructive project proposals anywhere in the province and the country. – Rappler.com</s>American children’s television network Nickelodeon says it has 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 island that would let fans “interact with the brand and the iconic characters they love”, including SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer.

The announcement triggered fierce criticism from environmental campaigners 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 when contacted.

Conservation groups call Palawan “the last frontier” because of its pristine coastlines and forests, which are among the oldest and most diverse in south-east Asia. It is home to two Unesco world heritage sites – a subterranean river and the Tubbataha coral reefs.

Viacom’s initial statement in January promoted the project as its first resort in south-east Asia that “would give a significant business opportunity for our partners across multiple platforms”.

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,” said Vince Cinches of Greenpeace South-east Asia. “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 (1,000-acre) development.

Coral World Park did not immediately respond to emails asking 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 let up. “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.</s>[MANILA] American children's television network Nickelodeon said 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 island that would let fans "interact with the brand and the iconic characters they love", including SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer.

The announcement triggered fierce criticism from environmental campaigners 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 Wednesday it had abandoned the project.

"(Viacom) and Nickelodeon will no longer be involved with this proposed development," the company said in a statement sent to AFP.

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 when contacted by AFP.

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.

"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 told AFP.

"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 said in a statement on Wednesday it planned to continue with its project, while describing reports the development would harm the environment and a local tribal group as "misleading information".

"We are converting a former mining site into a tourism development contrary to reports that we are building on pristine land," it said.

The executive director of environmental group Save Philippine Seas, Anna Oposa, told AFP the campaign against the development would not let up.

"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.</s>That challenge is about to get tougher.

UNESCO's huge list of World Heritage properties has grown even longer this month, with the global body voting to add 21 sites during the 41st annual World Heritage Committee session in Krakow, Poland.

That brings the total of UNESCO World Heritage Sites to 1,073.

Northwest England's mountainous Lake District was among the new sites added to the list, the UK's first national park to become a World Heritage property.

"The combined work of nature and human activity has produced a harmonious landscape in which the mountains are mirrored in the lakes," says UNESCO's statement announcing the inscription.

India's walled city of Ahmedabad, founded by Sultan Ahmed Shah in the 15th century, was also added to the list, becoming the country's first city to get a UNESCO nod.

Located on the eastern bank of the Sabarmati river, it "presents a rich architectural heritage from the sultanate period, notably the Bhadra citadel, the walls and gates of the Fort city and numerous mosques and tombs as well as important Hindu and Jain temples of later periods," says UNESCO's description of the city.

Two South America properties were added to the list, including Brazil's Valongo Wharf, an archeological site.

Located in central Rio de Janeiro, the wharf encompasses the entire Jornal do Comércio Square and was built to receive enslaved Africans who began landing the South American continent from 1811.

"It is the most important physical trace of the arrival of African slaves on the American continent," says UNESCO.

Israel accused UNESCO of making a politically motivated move, part of what it says is an attempt to deny the Jewish character and heritage of certain key sites in the Holy Land.

Meanwhile, UNESCO's decision to approve China's nomination of Hoh Xil, part of the high-altitude Tibetan plateau in Qinghai Province, has also drawn protests.

The International Campaign for Tibet says the nomination poses a threat to Tibetan nomads and their way of life.

Here's this year's list of newly inscribed sites, several of which can be viewed in the above gallery:

Germany: Caves and ice age art in the Swabian Jura

Angola: Mbanza Kongo, political and spiritual capital of the Kingdom of Kongo

The United Nations' World Heritage Committee, made up of representatives from 21 countries, meets annually to vote natural, cultural and sites of mixed significance around the world to its prestigious preservation list, which includes places of "outstanding universal value."

The inscribed sites must meet at least one of 10 criteria such as "representing a masterpiece of human creative genius," containing "exceptional natural beauty" or being an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement.

UNESCO has been adding sites to the World Heritage List since 1978.

In the travel world, being able to add the words "UNESCO World Heritage Site" to destination marketing materials is the equivalent of striking tourism gold, bringing fame and cultural cachet as well as resources for sites in need of restoration and protection.

As a result, nations often spend years developing pitches for inclusion on the list and must convince the UNESCO committee they will protect their sites and support them financially.</s>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 "
Viacom International Media Networks has announced it will no longer pursue a Nickelodeon underwater theme park and resort in Palawan, Philippines. The project, announced last January, attracted controversy due to criticisms from environmentalist groups who fear the resort might destroy the area's marine ecosystem, home to two UNESCO World Heritage sites.