Sunday, October 7, 2007
Monday, October 1, 2007
SCUBA DIVING SERVICES
| SCUBA DIVING
Island Divers Manalo Extension, Barangay Bancao-Bancao, Puerto Princesa City. Telephone: 6348.4332917 / 6348.4332917 Email: info@islanddivers.ph Website: www.islanddivers.ph Last Frontier Dive Villarosa Rd, Bancao-Bancao, Puerto Princesa City. Telephone: 6348-434-5145 /6348-434-5145 Email: info@lastfrontierdive.com Website: www.lastfrontierdive.com Moonshadow PO Box 107, Puerto Princesa City. Website: www.moonshadow.ch Queen Anne Divers PO Box 189 Puerto Princesa City. Email: queenanne@gmx.ch Website: www.queenannedivers.com.ph |
TRAVEL AGENTS
| TRAVEL AGENTS
1700 Islands Tavel and Tours Rizal Avenue Extension, Puerto Princesa City. Telephone: 6348.4337726 Email: 1700isla@mozcom.com Ellens Travel and Tours Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa City. Telephone: 6348.4347052 Email: ellenstrvltours2000@yahoo.com El Mundo Tours Inc. National Highway, Barangay San Miguel, Puerto Princesa City. Telephone: 6348.4334878 Email: elmundotours@yahoo.com Floral Travel and Tours Rizal Avenue Extension, Puerto Princesa City. Telephone: 6348.4342540 Email: floral_travel@yahoo.com Island Divers Venture Manalo Extension, Barangay Bancao Bancao, Puerto Princesa City. Telephone: 6348.4332983. Email: info@islanddivers.ph Island Paradise Tours and Convention Barangay San Miguel, Puerto Princesa City. Telephone: 6348.4332089 Jemadon Travel Services Rizal Avenue, Barangay Manggahan, Puerto Princesa City. Telephone: 6348.4349290 Email: jemadon_travel_service@yahoo.com Laseasky Travel and Tours Barangay Sta Monica, Puerto Princesa City. Telephone: 6348.4347611/4336079 Email: laseasky_travel@yahoo.com Last Frontier Scuba Dive Travel and Tour Agency Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa City. Telephone: 6348.4345145 Email: info@lastfrontierdive.com Palawan Ecology Travel and Tours Barangay San Pedro, Puerto Princesa City. Telephone: 6348.4342719 Email: leomonice@yahoo.com Palawonderous Travel and Tours Rizal Avenue, Barangay Bancao Bancao, Puerto Princesa City. Telephone: 6348.4345299 Sanctuary Travel and Tours Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa City. Telephone: 6348.4347673/4348363 Email: sanctuarytours@yahoo.com Sitti Hamrina Travel and Tours Junction I, Barangay San Miguel, Puerto Princesa City. Telephone: 6348.4349576 Email: shamrina_travel@yahoo.com The Legend Travel and Tours Malvar Street, Puerto Princesa City. Telephone: 6348.4339076 Email: legendhotel@yahoo.com |
RESTAURANTS
| RESTAURANTS
Badjao Seafront & Restaurant |
RESORTS
| INLAND RESORTS
Kawayanan Resort
|
| ISLAND RESORTS
Dos Palmas Arrecefi Island Resort
|
| BEACH COTTAGES
EAST COAST
|
| MOUNTAIN RESORTS
Bambua Nature Park Resort
|
| HILLSIDE/BAYSIDE RESORTS
Hillside Resort Barangay Sandiwa, Puerto Princesa City. Telephone: 6348.4337318 Price Range: Php880 - 1885. Swimming pool; Rooms with cable TV; Private bathroom; Hot & cold water; Open-air dinning Cottage; Laundry Services; Safety deposit box; Postal service; Photo processing; 24-hr room service; Conference and meeting facilities; Airline Reservation & Reconfirmation; Free transfer; Major credit cards accepted. |
APARTELLES
| APPARTELLES
Mary The Queen Apartelle
|
INNS & PENSIONS
| INNS & PENSIONS
Abelardo's Pension |
HOTELS
| STANDARD HOTELS
Asturias Hotel |
| ECONOMY HOTELS
Airport Hotel
|
PEACE & ORDER
The National Peace and Order Council (NPOC) bestowed the Best CPOC - Component City Category for Calendar Year 2005 to the cities of Escalante bagging the first place award, followed by Tuguegarao, 2nd placer; and the 3rd place award went to Puerto Princesa and this city. The city has become a natural destination for eco-tourists, nature lovers, vacationists and researchers. It abounds in diverse resources and natural scenic spots, which attract both local and international tourists to come to Puerto Princesa with a bonus of goodwill. The honor that the City won in 1996 as the “Hall of Fame” awardee for being the “Cleanest and Greenest Component City in the Philippines” together with a number of other awards in the area of environmental protection, sustainable agriculture, rural health delivery services, peace and order and functional literacy have supplemented the natural attraction of the City and made it more popular a destination point. In relation to Palawan, Puerto Princesa will continue to serve as the center of trade and commerce, communication, education and public administration in the province.
TRANSPORTATION
Puerto Princesa City can be reached within an hour flight from Manila or 20 hour trip by sea. A choice of regular flights in the morning such as Philippine airlines, Cebu Pacific and Air Philippines. And starting October 1st, Air Philippines will have a daily flights in the afternoon to Manila. There are also flights bound for Cebu; Cebu Pacific (Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday), Air Philippines (Monday-Wedenesday-Friday). While the more adventurous travelers can access to Puerto Princesa via WGA every Saturdays or Negros Navigation on Thursdays.In Puerto Princesa, residential and commercial areas are located great distances apart. Mobility requires a means of transport that is affordable, capable of penetrating narrow streets, versatile and widely available. Consequently, tricycles have become the preferred means of transport. Tricycles are three-wheeled vehicles that are gasoline-powered-essentially motorcycles with an attached sidecar that can accomodate up to four passengers (two in the sidecar and two behind the driver). In the city each tricycle unit has a designated route(s) where it can travel, with a standard fare for every designation. AIRLINES - Air Philippines, Rizal Avenue Extension, Puerto Princesa City. Telephone: 6348.4338045 Website: www.airphils.com Asian SpiritHotel Fleuris, Lacao Street, Puerto Princesa City. Website: www.asianspirit.com Cebu Pacific, Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa City. Telephone: 6348.4347038 Website: www.cebupacificair.comPhilippine AirlinesAirport Complex, Rizal Avenue Telephone 6348.4334565 Website: www.philippineairlines.comSEAIRc/o Floral Travel & Tours, Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa City. Website: www.flyseair.com SHIPPING - Milagrosa ShippingPort Area, Puerto Princesa City. Telephone: 6348.4334806Negros NavigationAustria Building, Roxas Street, Tel. 6348.4337165 Website: www.negrosnavigation.phW G & AMalvar Street, Puerto Princesa City. Telephone 6348.4332888 Website: www.superferry.com.ph
PEOPLE / CULTURE
Waves of migrants from other Philippine provinces, and even other countries, have turned Puerto Princesa into a melting pot of various cultures. Among the original inhabitants are the Cuyunons who posses a rich legacy of folklores and traditions. Indigenous groups include the Tagbanuas and the Bataks, each group with its distinct culture and system of beliefs. Total inhabitants number about 161,912 (as of May, 2000), Three fourth of the population resides in the city proper, an urban settlement on the shores of Puerto Princesa Bay. While the predominant local tongue is Cuyuno, Tagalog, Visayan, as well as English are widely spoken.
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Eco-tourism is the buzzword of today’s world travelers. And eco-tourism is definitely Puerto Princesa City’s distinct advantage over the rest. Nature has thus chosen for Puerto Princesa the road to economic development. And coupled with such an auspicious reputation as the “Last Frontier” in this part of the globe that has already attracted the world’s travel planners to include it in the itinerary of trans-ocean luxury vessels, eco-tourism is undoubtedly the key to the city’s sustainable development. It is in this context that the city government have decided to request the conversion of the 1,072-hectare Industrial and Commercial Zone at Brgy. Sta. Lucia into an Environmental Estate. The Estate will be an eco-tourism park and environmental center of the Philippines. It will serve both as a catalyst for economic growth and a vehicle for preserving the environment. It will also become an institution in conservation and the world’s fountain of biological knowledge in the future.
CLIMATE
Rainfall - The City has two prevailing type of climate. The type that prevails in the west coast has two distinct seasons: six months dry (November-April), and six months wet (May-October) with the heaviest recorded rainfall in September, While the lowest or driest month occurs in February. Western barangays of the City (New Panggangan, Marufinas, Cabayugan, Tagabinit, Buenavista, Bahile, Macarascas, Simpocan, Bagong Bayan, and Napsan) fall within this type. The type prevailing in the east coast has short dry season with varying heavy rainfall months. Dry months have been recorded during the months of January to April. Recorded rainiest month is September. Temperature - Temperature is one of the three most important factors in climate as far as plant growth is concerned. The other two factors are moisture and light. Temperature influences every chemical and physical process connected with plants such as solubility of minerals; absorption of water, gases, etc.; synthesis; growth and reproduction. In the animal world, atmospheric temperatures have profound effect in the reproductive as well as productive efficiency of livestock, like milk production in dairy farming. The City has a uniform high temperature. However, there is no marked difference in temperature between areas falling under the first and second type of climate. Generally the warmest months are March, April and May, the coolest are November, December, January, and February. Humidity - The City has more or less uniform as well as high relative humidity. The range is from 79 to 86 percent with an annual mean of 84 percent. Fluctuations in relative humidity affect the rate of evaporation in such a way that if other factors like moisture content of the soil and its temperature and the temperature of the air were momentarily held constant, a lower relative humidity tends to enhance vaporization, while in an extreme case, atmosphere approaches 100 percent, evaporation may cease and condensation induced. Wind - The City has two distinct prevailing winds, the northeast (NE) monsoon and the southwest (SW) monsoon. The northeast monsoon generally sets in October and continues until April. The monsoon blows mainly between north and northeast with a tendency towards an easterly direction at the end of the season. It has a velocity ranging from 15 to 25 kilometers per hour at its height and an average of 6 kilometers per hour. Rain clouds during the NE monsoon practically lose all the moisture before reaching the southwest part of the archipelago, thus the City and the province as a whole receive no rainfall towards the end of the northeast monsoon (January-April). The southwest (SW) monsoon or the summer monsoon follows the NE monsoon after a transition period of variable winds and calms. The SW monsoon prevails from June to October. It blows most steadily during July and August although not as steady as the NE monsoon, reaching a maximum velocity of about 35 kilometers per hour. In October or during the close of the SW monsoon, strong winds occur in the southern part of the city. The southwest winds bring torrential rains but with uneven distribution. The NE and SW monsoons affect the eastern and western part of the City. When these winds blow, the seas are very rough. The calm months of the year are from April through June on both the eastern and western side of the City.
GEOGRAPHY
Puerto Princesa City lies at the mid-section of the long strip of Palawan Island province. It is approximately 306 nautical miles from Manila, 206 nautical miles to Panay Island and about 250 nautical miles to Zambonga. It is bounded on the North by the Municipality of San Vicente and Roxas and on the South by the Municipality of Aborlan. Its Western side is a coastline of the South China Sea while to the East lies the Sulu Sea. Total land area is 253,982.00 hectares stretched over 106 kilometers long with the narrowest breadth of 8.5 kilometers in Barangay Bahile. Puerto Princesa City has now 35 urban barangays and 31 rural or a total of 66 barangays.
HISTORY
Legend attributes the name “Puerto Princesa” to a princess-like maiden who in the early days is said to have roamed around the place on certain nights of the year. On the other hand, practical people attribute the name to the geographical advantages of the place as a seaport – naturally protected the whole year round and endowed with a depth that can accommodate any size of shipping – a royal heaven for vessels or a virtual princess of ports as thus indicated by Spanish Colonizers on the country’s map. Historically, the place was named after Princess Eulalia of Spain, born in 1864 to Queen Isabel II and her consort, Dr. Francisco de Asis. When the princess suffered an untimely death, the Queen changed the name to Puerto de la Princesa. Eventually, the name was reduced to Puerto Princesa as it is known today. Spanish Colonizers 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 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 became the center of Spanish Naval Operations in the area because the few natives were peaceful and the Bay met all the Navy’s requirements. Royal Decrees later provided incentives to settlers, such that by 1883 settlement had flourished into a town of twelve roads, a hospital and well built port. In 1894, Puerto Princesa was recognized 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. In 1911, the New American Administration made Puerto Princesa the seat of the Palawan Provincial Government with Major John Brown as Lieutenant Governor. The town was converted into a city on January 1, 1970 under R.A. 5906 as amended by P.D. 437, through the effort of then Congressman Ramon V. Mitra, Jr. Feliberto R. Oliveros, Jr. became the first City Mayor. Since its foundation, Puerto Princesa has been the nerve center 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. Feast of the ForestToday, under the leadership of Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn, the City has gained the distinction of being a model city – in cleanliness, environmental protection and conservation, and local governance in general. And so, with a responsive leadership and an inspired citizenry, the tradition of Puerto Princesa being a beautiful and clean city lives on.
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