Do non-users value coral reefs?: Economic valuation of conserving Tubbataha Reefs, Philippines

- We conducted a dichotomous choice contingent valuation survey to determine non-use values of respondents very far from the reefs.
- 46% of the respondents were willing to pay for conservation of the distant reefs indicating non-use values.
- Substantial non-use values justify regular government budget allocation for the Tubbataha reef conservation.

The main purpose of the study is to determine whether non-use values exist among residents of Quezon City, hundreds of kilometers away from Tubbataha Reefs. The dichotomous choice contingent valuation method (CVM) was employed across 800 randomly selected respondents, 400 of which were personally interviewed (PI) and 400 were asked to accomplish self-administered (SA) questionnaires, 198 of the latter were found useable for the study. Results showed that 46% of all respondents were willing to pay for conservation of the reefs, with bequest motive or concern for future generations as their main reason. The mean WTP ranged from 437 pesos for PI respondents to 233 pesos for SA respondents. These substantial non-use values justify the need for regular government appropriation for conserving Tubbataha Reefs.