Dora no Explorer: TV network axes Philippine resort plan after outcry

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.

Viacom International Media Networks, which owns Nickelodeon, said Wednesday it had abandoned the project. 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.