Puerto Princesa is the center of trade and commerce, education, communications, and public administration of Palawan. Its strategic location is within the growth corridor of the BIMP East ASEAN Growth Area.
The after-effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic which
crippled the tourism industry can still be felt in the Philippines. However,
Puerto Princesa, the “Heart of the Best Island in the World,” harnesses its
vast potential not only as a destination of choice but also as a preferred
center of MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions, and events) to forge ahead
and move forward.
Folk
dancers hired by the City Tourism Department welcome the passengers and crew of
the luxury cruise ship - MS Silver Whisper as it arrives in Puerto Princesa.
The 610-foot, 10-storey vessel is touted as a cruise ship for the rich and
famous; the first of six cruise ships that will be visiting Puerto Princesa’s
shores.
Paradise in Profile
Known for its UNESCO World Heritage site Underground River, it shares 50 percent of the tourist arrivals in Palawan and in the region, making it the biggest contributor to its economic growth. In 2020, Palawan logged a partial number of 157,051 tourist arrivals, 71,889 of which were visits to PPC.
A tropical paradise with a bustling urban center
perfect for business-with-leisure trips, PP is blessed with lush rainforests
and white-sand beaches hours away from the city proper, where a banking and
commercial boom has made life easier for workaholics and busybodies.
Puerto Princesa is a relatively young settlement,
having been established as a city only in 1970. The first settlers arrived on
March 4, 1872; a date celebrated every year as the foundation day of the city.
As part of the Philippines’ last frontier, the city is
rich in natural resources. It is the country’s largest city with a land area of
253,982 hectares. A chain of mountain ranges runs through the entire length of
the city, dividing it into two distinct areas – the East Coast and the West
Coast.
A significant portion of the city retains its
indigenous vegetation, rainforest, mangroves, and coastal ecosystem, all of
which support an amazing array of wildlife. In terms of species biodiversity
and its wide range of ecosystems, Puerto Princesa is of national significance.
The famous and must-visit Puerto Princesa Subterranean
River National Park, which was formerly known as Saint Paul’s Subterranean
River National Park, covering a protected area of 22,202 hectares is a haven to
endemic flora and fauna. UNESCO has inscribed the park as a World’s Heritage
Site on December 4, 1999.
The Norwegian Jewel carrying with it around 3,000 passengers
and crew is the second of the six cruise ships calling port in Puerto Princesa.
Calendar of Events
With a tropical climate and the warm welcome of its
people, foreign and Filipino tourists can bask in Puerto Princesa’s embrace
all-year round. In January is the Chinoy Festival, which celebrates the new
year with ground firecrackers at the Chinatown Center, and with dragon dances
and lion dances in major malls and hotels. Every February 14 is the Love Affair with Nature, which
is marked by a mass wedding as well as letting citizens express their love for
Mother Nature through participating in mangrove tree planting activities.
In March is the Balayong Festival, which commemorates
the founding anniversary of Puerto Princesa highlighted by street dancing,
float parade and planting of Palawan Cherry Blossoms. In April is the Pangalipay
sa Baybay, a summer extravaganza at the baywalk. Activities kick off with
parade and fireworks display, dance competition, cheerdancing and boat race.
In June is the “Pista y ang Cagueban,” a time when
citizens celebrate the Feast of the Forest and plant thousands of different
tree species.
September is Tourism Month, which is celebrated with
great performances, exotic cuisines and a showcase of various talents and
services in the local tourism industry. Every third Sunday of September is
Coastal Cleanup Day, an international activity whose objective is to preserve
and safeguard Mother Earth’s resources along the shorelines.
November is the Subaraw Festival, which is a
fun-and-activity-filled celebration of Puerto Princesa’s very rich
biodiversity. December celebrates Light a Tree, a merry event where a giant
Christmas tree is lit up to start the Yuletide Season. This comes with
Christmas carols, dances, and music.
Mighty MICE
The Department of Tourism sees the huge potential of
Puerto Princesa, a city known for its remarkable attributes in MIMAROPA
(Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan), as a preferred location for meetings,
incentives, conferences, and events (MICE).
In May, Regional Director Zeny Pallugna of DOT
MIMAROPA in a discussion with City Tourism Department (CTD) chief Demetrio
Alvior Jr. Said they are pushing for Puerto Princesa as a MICE destination,
where tourists can be enticed to stay longer to enjoy the city’s attractions.
During the “Amos Ta Ren sa Puerto Princesa” radio
show, Pallugna said that the city is well on its way into becoming a MICE
location because of it is capable of hosting events such as Ironman 70.3 Puerto
Princesa and an international dragon boat competition.
“Aside from that, maybe in the future we can conduct a
101 on MICE. We can do that, and then identify the different function
facilities for the MICE market,” Pallugna said, as quoted by Palawan News,
so the regional tourism office can start promoting the city at the end of the
year, or next year.
Another goal for Palawan, Pallugna emphasized, is to
train more community tour guides, and recalibrate their skills continuously, so
they could help promote and showcase the “Filipino brand of service” globally.
“The second thing is—MIMAROPA is, whether they like it
or not, we are the cruise capital of the Philippines. Imagine it, we have 139
cruise calls in the Philippines, 22 of them is in Puerto Princesa; 41 total
within the MIMAROPA Region,” Pallugna pointed out.
The regional director of the DOT also mentioned that
they plan to introduce the national program called “Philippine Experience” to
the city, which includes the well-received Suroy-Suroy sa Sugbo, which the
local tourism body plans to replicate.
Alvior, meanwhile, said that Puerto Princesa’s main
focus is on the MICE industry. As such, City Mayor Lucilo Bayron actively
encourages investors and venture capitalists to build convention centers in strategic
areas such as Quito and the environmental estate in Barangay Sta. Lucia.
“Actually, we were discussing tourism activities, and
the mayor suggested that we should expand the Quito area. There is a focus on
MICE, so we are working on establishing convention centers,” Alvior was quoted
by Palawan News.
Cruise Capital
This November, Puerto Princesa City enjoyed a surge in
tourist arrivals with the celebration of the Subaraw Biodiversity Festival,
which drew international participants, and the scheduled arrivals of more
cruise ships as Christmas approaches.
During the opening ceremny of the Subaraw Biodiversity
Festival, Mayor Lucilo Bayron said that the aim of the city to make the event
international is once again gaining momentum after being adversely impacted by
the pandemic. In recent years.
“We need to add more international events to attract
more tourists from other countries. And this year, we have incorporated
international events in the celebration – wild bird photography race, Ironman
70.3 challenge, and international dragon boat race. Our Miss Subaraw is already
a national event with the winner coming from Angeles, Pampanga, and this year,
we already have 10 foreign candidates,” Mayor Bayron said, as quoted by Palawan
News.
Meanwhile, a luxury ocean liner called MS Silver
Whisper dropped anchor in the city in early
November, indicating greater opportunities for the local tourism industry to
prosper.
Touted as a cruise ship for the rich and famous, the
MS Silver Whisper brought 382 vacationers and a crew of around 300. Registered
in Nassau, Bahamas, the 610-foot, 10-storey vessel is operated by
Monaco-headquartered Silversea Cruises.
The MS Silver Whisper is the first of six cruise ships
that will be visiting Puerto Princesa’s shores this November, the City Tourism
Department excitedly announced.
CTD chief Demetrio Alvior, Jr. said that guests aboard
the ship will tour several key attractions in Puerto Princesa, with the
underground river in Barangay Cabayugan on top of the list. The ship will then
sail off to their next port of call in Coron, also in Palawan.
The city anticipates heightened tourism and overall
economic activity with upcoming cruise ship arrivals scheduled on November 4,
8, 16, 18 and 28, Alvior shared.
Five more massive vessels are scheduled to arrive in
November and December will welcome the MV Norwegian Jewel and the MV Aida
Bella. The MV Norwegian Jewel will bring in about 2,500 people; the MS
Westerdam, 1,964 individuals; and the MS Star Breeze, around 327 passengers.
Alvior noted that unlike in the past when
international tourists arrived mainly by airplane, the city’s expanded tourism
program has paved the way for more visitors to arrive by sea.
The city official said that stakeholders in the
tourism sector are being encouraged to provide exemplary service that will
showcase the renowned Filipino hospitality to solidify Puerto Princesa’s place
as a tourism center and give the local economy a much-needed boost.
Alvior also encouraged Puerto Princesa’s tourism
frontliners to treat all visitors with the highest level of care and to
exemplify the unique Filipino standard of service.
“The influx of tourists will keep us on our toes, but
it's a bustling pace we look forward to," Alvior told Palawan News.