Puerto Princesa’s rapid rise to progress
Inquirer.net
21 April 2024
The city of Puerto Princesa in the province of Palawan is a highly urbanized and independent city that has its own legislative district. Located about 306 nautical miles from Manila or 55 minutes by commercial plane, the city’s airport and seaport are among the important transport links in the Mimaropa Region.
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According to preliminary data released by the city’s tourism department, tourist arrivals in Puerto Princesa reached nearly 529,000 in 2023. This figure is 76 percent higher compared to the 300,000 tourists in 2022. The tourism department said these statistics account for visitors who spent at least one night in Puerto Princesa, excluding transient tourists from cruise ships or those just passing through.
Prime investment hub
Puerto Princesa City is on a consistent and robust urban development track. As a top destination in the Mimaropa region, it is a prime investment hub particularly for the tourism and hospitality industries. It has also attracted ventures related to real estate development, for those who seek to reside or expand businesses in the paradise island of Palawan.
The Puerto Princesa local government is continuously improving its infrastructure to stimulate economic development. Plans are underway to revitalize and improve its central business district by constructing new commercial buildings to attract investments in its growing business processing outsourcing industry.
According to the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), Puerto Princesa is one of the locations touted to be high potential areas for transformation into “digital cities” by 2025.
In December 2023, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) said that it is targeting to open a 26,000-hectare Iwahig mega economic zone at the prison complex in Puerto Princesa within the term of President Marcos.
Peza officials have earlier expressed their wish to turn this economic hub in Palawan into a publicly owned economic zone, focusing mainly on developing it as a manufacturing hub. Peza Director General Tereso Panga said that the planned mega economic zone would be ideal to host the production line of automotive vehicles, including electric vehicles. The goal is to transform the penal colony into a self-sustaining community, complete with its own power and water sources.
Iconic destinations
Puerto Princesa is home to some of the most iconic tourist destinations in the country such as the Underground River National Park, Tubbataha National Marine Park, and the resort town of El Nido. The development of key destinations such as Honda Bay, Tagbarungis Eco-Park, Tagkawayan Beach, and the Acacia & Heritage Parks is also in the pipeline of the local government.
In October 2022, the local government of Puerto Princesa City said it is eyeing about P300 billion worth of new investments from its latest push to get investors to set up their businesses in the city, which include a new safari park.
Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron highlighted the P200-billion investment from the more than 1,000-ha Sta. Lucia Environmental Estate, which is being positioned to become an ecotourism park and a major environmental hub.
There are also plans to upgrade the city’s fishport and improve the fishing sector in the city, which Bayron said would result in thousands of new jobs not just for the locals, but also for people from other places in the country who wish to work there.
According to data from the local government, commercial fishery in the port contributed 62 percent of the city’s annual fish production, with about 19,246 metric tons of fish directly shipped to Metro Manila and other provinces.
Businesses that could benefit from the development of the fishing sector in Puerto Princesa include fish processing, ice plant, refrigeration facilities, canneries, and wholesale and retail stores.
Emerging MICE sector
The local government of Puerto Princesa is also bent on developing Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism.
Puerto Princesa tourism chief Demetrio Alvior Jr. said MICE tourism brings substantial economic benefits through corporate spending on venues, accommodations, dining and transportation, exceeding leisure travel expenses.
He said the city hosted about 800 MICE events in 2023, attracting nearly 70,000 visitors.
But the city is faced with capacity limitation and can only currently accommodate a maximum of 1,000 individuals, according to Alvior. To address this, the city government has plans to build convention centers to increase visitor capacity and stimulate more flights to Puerto Princesa, ultimately enhancing the city’s tourism infrastructure and its ability to host larger events and more tourists.
Source: Inquirer Archives, Philippine News Agency
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