[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. 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. “Therefore, VIMN and Nickelodeon will no longer be involved with this proposed development,” said Adeline Ong, VIMN Asia’s Senior Director of Corporate Communications. "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." It provoked a backlash from conservation groups, who call Palawan island the Philippines' "last ecological frontier" because of its relatively untouched coastlines and forests.
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.