Palawan traders urge infra projects to boost local tourism

PUERTO PRINCESA, Palawan – The local business community here is urging the national and local governments to work on another infrastructure plan that would boost the local economy, especially the tourism sector.

Bobby L. Castro, vice president of the Palawan Chamber of Commerce (PCC), said the business community wants an additional highway linking the capital city of Puerto Princesa with El Nido, considered one of the world’s best tourist destinations.

"Opening an additional world-class highway linking the capital city with El Nido will bring in more domestic and foreign tourists to Palawan which will greatly boost the local economy," Castro said in a meeting with newsmen and representatives from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The northern area of Palawan is highly dependent on the tourism industry for its economic growth. Tourism is said to account for over 60 percent of the economic activities in the area.

Puerto Princesa opened last year a 134.48-kilometer linking it to Roxas, another bustling area south of the capital city. This has resulted in improved movement of human and goods traffic, and economic activity.

Castro said a world-class highway would encourage domestic air carriers to increase flights to Puerto Princesa as tourist and business traffic would increase. Carriers like the Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and Asian Spirit have regular flights to Puerto Princesa City.

A new highway would reduce travel time by more than half, thus encouraging larger arrivals. It will also entice tourism and tourism-related businesses to locate in Palawan.

Castro said there are two types of tourists destined for El Nido and the other tourists destination in the northern most of Palawan. "First is the high-valued market of local and foreign tourists, and the second is the back-packer type," he said. A small group of the high-end market takes the direct flights to El Nido but majority prefer to go via Puerto Princesa and move to El Nido via land.

In the past years, tourist arrivals averaged a little over 112,000 annually. The provincial government and Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn have formulated a three-year plan that would increase tourist arrivals to an average 600,000 annually.

The business chamber said improved infrastructure plus increased tourism-related activities would boost the local economy. Most of the northern part of Palawan has become major tourism destinations for local and foreign thrill-seekers and vacationers. It has also played host to regional and national business conventions.