Puerto Princesa, Province of Palawan, Mimaropa, Philippines

History : Spanish | American period and World War II | Post-World War II | Cityhood | Highly urbanized city | Contemporary | Geography : Barangays | Economy | Transport : Air | Sea | Land | E-tricycle | Healthcare | Television networks | Media : Radio

🇵🇭 Puerto Princesa, officially the City of Puerto Princesa is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Mimaropa region of the Philippines. It is a city located in the western Philippine province of Palawan, and is the westernmost city in the Philippines. Though the seat of government and capital for the province, the city itself is independent and not controlled by the province in which it is geographically located. Puerto Princesa is the location of the Philippines' Western Command headquarters. Today, Puerto Princesa is a tourist city with many beach resorts and seafood restaurants. It has been acclaimed several times as the cleanest and greenest city in the Philippines.

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History: Spanish Spanish colonists founded the settlement on March 4, 1872, in the course of their exploration of the province. As they scanned the Palawan shoreline for a capital site, they came upon a hill with steep declivity. Rowing to shore, they surveyed the hill and discovered an extensive plateau which they decided as ideal for settlement.

Soon after, Fr. Antonio Muro levelled a portion of the hill to make way for a chapel (that section is now occupied by the Roman Catholic Cathedral, the P.C. Barracks and the Rizal Park, the Old Municipal Building used to be there, as well as an Elementary School). The first mass celebrated in Puerto Princesa took place at a site where a marker now stands.

In May 1872, the Port of Puerto Princesa became the centre of Spanish Naval Operations in the area because the Bay met all the Navy's requirements. Royal Decrees later provided incentives to settlers, and by 1883 the settlement had flourished into a town of twelve roads, a hospital and well-built port.

In 1894, Puerto Princesa was recognised by government authorities as one of the most beautiful towns in the country by virtue of the orderly distribution of streets, buildings and houses as well as the cleanliness of the community.

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American period and World War II In 1911, the New American Administration made Puerto Princesa the seat of the Palawan Provincial Government with Major John Brown as Lieutenant Governor.

In the year 1936, Governor Heginio Mendoza made a directive on the transfer of the Palawan High School (currently Palawan National School) from the island municipality of Cuyo to the central place of the province, which was the Municipality of Puerto Princesa.

During WWII and the Japanese occupation, the village was largely abandoned. On May 18, 1942, Japanese troops landed and occupied Puerto Princesa City.

The Filipino Constabulary barracks was the scene of the Palawan Massacre, just before liberation with the allied Invasion of Palawan.

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Post-World War II In 1951, the barrios of Tinitian, Caramay, Rizal, Del Pilar, Malcampo, Tumarbong, Taradungan, Ilian, and Capayas were separated to form the town of Roxas.

In 1955, the sitios of Materingen, Tandayag, Nasedoc, and Panlawagan were separated from the barrio of Maroyogon and elevated into a barrio.

In 1956, the sitios of Calagbenguen, Tarabanan, Bendoyan, Talabigan, Tagbuan, and Langogan were constituted into the barrio of Concepcion.

In 1957, the barrio of Tapul was renamed to Salvacion.

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Cityhood The town was converted into a city on January 1, 1970, under Republic Act 5906 as amended by P.D. 437, through the effort of then Congressman Ramon Mitra, Jr. Feliberto R. Oliveros, Jr., who then became the first City Mayor.

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Highly urbanized city On March 26, 2007, Proclamation No. 1264, converting the city of Puerto Princesa into a highly urbanized city, was signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. The plebiscite was held along with Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu on July 21, 2007. The majority of voters voted to accept the conversion into a HUC. Puerto Princesa became the 31st highly urbanized city in the Philippines. Meanwhile, the "Yes" votes won in Lapu-Lapu City, making the city as the 32nd highly urbanized city in the country.

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Contemporary In May 2001, Abu Sayyaf gunmen entered the luxury Dos Palmas Resort in Honda Bay just off the coast of Puerto Princesa and kidnapped 20 people from the resort, including four resort staff and three Americans.

Since its foundation, Puerto Princesa has been the nerve centre of activities in Palawan. Aside from being the seat of public administration, it is the heart of trade, commerce, service, and industry in the province.

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Geography Puerto Princesa is located in the midsection of Palawan Island. It is bound to the east by the Sulu Sea, to the west iby the South China Sea, to the north by the municipalities of San Vicente and Roxas, and to the south by the municipality of Aborlan. It is approximately 306 nautical miles (567 km) from the Philippine capital of Manila, 205 nautical miles (380 km) from Panay and 250 nautical miles (460 km) from Zamboanga City on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.

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Geography: Barangays Puerto Princesa is politically subdivided into 66 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios. These barangays are grouped into two districts. Currently, there are 35 barangays which are classified as urban barangays: • Babuyan; • Bacungan; • Bagong Bayan; • Bagong Pag-Asa; • Bagong Sikat; • Bagong Silang; • Bahile; • Bancao-bancao; • Binduyan; • Buenavista; • Cabayugan; • Concepcion; • Inagawan; • Inagawan Sub-Colony; • Irawan; • Iwahig; • Kalipay; • Kamuning; • Langogan; • Liwanag; • Lucbuan; • Luzviminda; • Mabuhay; • Macarascas; • Magkakaibigan; • Maligaya; • Manalo; • Mandaragat; • Manggahan; • Mangingisda; • Maningning; • Maoyon; • Marufinas; • Maruyogon; • Masigla; • Masikap; • Masipag; • Matahimik; • Matiyaga; • Maunlad; • Milagrosa; • Model; • Montible; • Napsan; • New Panggangan; • Pagkakaisa; • Princesa; • Salvacion; • San Jose; • San Manuel; • San Miguel; • San Pedro; • San Rafael; • Santa Cruz; • Santa Lourdes; • Santa Lucia; • Santa Monica; • San Isidro; • Sicsican; • Simpocan; • Tagabinet; • Tagburos; • Tagumpay; • Tanabag; • Tanglaw; • Tiniguiban.

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Economy Puerto Princesa is known as the "Eco-Tourism Center of the Philippines". In recent years, the city has seen an increase in the number of tourists bringing with them trade and businesses for the city. Many hotels ranging from basic to five-star luxury accommodations have been developed since the 1990s to cater to a growing number of foreign and local tourists in the city.

There are also a number of restaurants, bars and shopping malls, including the Robinsons Place Palawan, NCCC Mall Palawan, Unitop Mall Puerto Princesa, as well as the recently opened SM City Puerto Princesa.

Some tourists who come to Puerto Princesa visit the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, one of the New7Wonders of Nature, located 50 km north of the city. The city is also the jump-off point for exploring the Tubbataha Reef.

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Transport: Air The Puerto Princesa International Airport is within the city proper. Puerto Princesa is accessible by direct flights to and from the major cities of the Philippines, such as Manila, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, and Clark, as well as other parts of Palawan, such as Cuyo, Busuanga, San Vicente, and El Nido.

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Sea The city is served by domestic passenger ferries to Cuyo, Manila, Coron and Iloilo at the Port of Puerto Princesa.

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Land The main modes of transport are via tricycles, jeepneys and vans-for-hire (or PUVs/public utility vehicles). Taxis started operating since April 2015, plying through the city centre and nearby tourist destinations. Provincial buses and jeepneys operate from the San Jose terminal located 7 km north of the city centre off the National Highway.

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E-tricycle Puerto Princesa then Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn unveiled the environment-friendly and economical electric-powered “Trikebayan” (which does not emit any noise or carbon monoxide) at the Kapihan sa Sulo forum, Sulo Hotel, Quezon City. The Trikebayan costs only ₱48 or $1.20 per day to operate, while a gasoline-powered tricycle operation would cost ₱200. Rolly Concepcion, who conceptualized the Trikebayan, said that converting a tricycle engine to electric costs ₱68,000. The rechargeable battery under the passenger seat can run for 12 hours. Mr. Conception died before the project was completed.

This did not discourage the previous mayor Hagedorn from pursuing a dream of seeing all electric vehicles, especially replacing the gas tricycles in the city. There was a dealership for these trikes on the north highway but it closed down in 2011.

Although Puerto Princesa has this bold plan for electric vehicles, the municipal government and tourist office has stated (when asked by a tourist in August 2011), that it has no published or announced plan for providing for the current and future needs and safety of pedestrians or bicycle riders. Spaces for walking and bicycling from one place to another are not being considered.

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Healthcare Hospitals in the city include: • MMG-PPC Cooperative Hospital • Ospital ng Palawan • Palawan Adventist Hospital • Palawan Medical City • PuertoGen Clinics & Infirmary • Ace Hospital.

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Television networks All of the major television broadcasting channels' regional offices are located in the city. ABS-CBN Corporation expanded its network in Palawan by establishing ABS-CBN Palawan, which operates ABS-CBN channel 7 Puerto Princesa, ABS-CBN Sports and Action Palawan DYAP-AM and MOR! Local shows such as TV Patrol Palawan are broadcast throughout the region via ABS-CBN Regional, which is also stationed in the city. Bandera News Philippines's airs shows via channel 40 Local Shows Such as Alerto 38, GMA Network's channel 12 and GMA News TV channel 27 are also available.

Cable and satellite TV The city's cable and satellite TV companies include Puerto Princesa Cable Television (PPCATV)

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Media: Radio Puerto Princesa has a number of FM and AM radio stations, some of which operate 24 hours daily.

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Manila Time 
Manila Time
Image: Adobe Stock hit1912 #261425074

Puerto Princesa has a population of over 307,079 people. Puerto Princesa also forms the centre of the wider Palawan Province which has a population of over 939,594 people. It is also a part of the larger Mimaropa Region.

To set up a UBI Lab for Puerto Princesa see: https://www.ubilabnetwork.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/UBILabNetwork

Twin Towns, Sister Cities Puerto Princesa has links with:

🇨🇳 Beihai, China 🇹🇼 Hsinchu, Taiwan 🇹🇼 Hsinhu, Taiwan 🇮🇩 Jayapura, Indonesia 🇵🇭 Naga, Philippines 🇵🇭 Quezon City, Philippines 🇵🇭 Santiago, Philippines 🇹🇷 Sarıyer, Turkey 🇺🇸 Wailuku, USA 🇨🇳 Wuxi, China
Text Atribution: Wikipedia Text under CC-BY-SA license

Antipodal to Puerto Princesa is: -61.264,-9.742

Locations Near: Puerto Princesa 118.736,9.7423

🇵🇭 Puerto Princesa City 118.75,9.75 d: 1.8  

🇵🇭 Palawan 118.559,9.731 d: 19.4  

🇵🇭 Roxas 119.33,10.33 d: 92.2  

🇵🇭 San Jose de Buenavista 121.941,10.743 d: 367.9  

🇵🇭 San Jose 121.068,12.353 d: 386  

🇵🇭 San Jose 121.177,12.362 d: 394.7  

🇵🇭 Miagao 122.235,10.644 d: 395.8  

🇵🇭 Sipalay 122.478,9.758 d: 410.1  

🇵🇭 Oton 122.474,10.693 d: 422.5  

🇵🇭 Cabatuan 122.48,10.88 d: 428.7  

Antipodal to: Puerto Princesa -61.264,-9.742

🇧🇷 Ji-Paraná -61.941,-10.881 d: 19868.4  

🇧🇷 Ji Parana -61.95,-10.883 d: 19867.7  

🇧🇷 Cacoal -61.447,-11.439 d: 19825.4  

🇧🇷 Ariquemes -63.033,-9.908 d: 19820.4  

🇧🇷 Porto Velho -63.86,-8.766 d: 19710.2  

🇧🇷 Humaitá -63.017,-7.5 d: 19700  

🇧🇷 Vilhena -60.11,-12.708 d: 19662.2  

🇧🇷 Manicoré -61.28,-5.816 d: 19578.5  

🇧🇷 Sinop -55.633,-11.833 d: 19357.6  

🇧🇷 Tangará da Serra -57.491,-14.621 d: 19335.1  

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