This Week in Palawan (November 10 to 16, 2018)

This week’s weather is going to be mostly cloudy, AccuWeather forecast shows [2]. But that doesn’t mean you’re free to leave home without any protection from rain, as the forecast also says that there would be thunderstorms and showers all throughout the week. In fact, the chance of seeing rains is predicted to be 40% to 85%. So if you plan to attend many of Subaraw’s much-anticipated activities, it’s best to go out with an umbrella or a raincoat to keep you dry. Meanwhile, you’ll only get to see much of the sunshine on November 10, 12, and 16.

As people will flock to and from different activity centers at the city proper, expect moderate to heavy traffic on major roads. The traffic congestion will be particularly felt on November 10 and 11—the last two days of the celebration—as the festival costume display and street dancing and float competitions will be held on these dates, respectively, in addition to other daytime activities expected to draw thousands of people. At nighttime, congestion can also be experienced as more revelers are likely to attend the electronic music festival party on November 10 and the pryomusical display during the closing program on November 11 at the City Baywalk [3].

The newly opened San Vicente Airport in northern mainland Palawan is another option of getting to Puerto Princesa without touching down to Puerto Princesa City International Airport or docking on Puerto Princesa Port. Travel buffs from central or northern Luzon can now fly from Clark to San Vicente via Philippine Airlines’ 86-seater Q400s [4].

Seeing San Vicente’s tourism potential, PAL has started to offer regular flights since October 28 this year. San Vicente is most famous for its 14-kilometer Long Beach.

The celebration all started when the national government declared November 11 as PPUR Day in 2014 [5]. In 2017, the city government turned it to a weeklong PPUR Festival. This year, it was renamed to Subaraw Biodiversity Festival to make it grander and at par with Cebu’s Sinulog and Davao’s Kadayawan, among other popular festivals across the country [6]. Subaraw officially kicked off on November 3 at PPUR’s home in Sitio Sabang, Brgy. Cabayugan, and continues to hold different activities promoting the conservation of the park’s wildlife [7]. To fully enjoy this festival, do not miss the Grand Biodiversity Parade on PPUR Day.

If you find yourself wanting to go on a shopping spree, heading over to Subaraw Agri Trade Fair at the City Coliseum Park is also an experience in itself [8]. This strip of stalls is especially vibrant at night. Here you can find a wide range of agricultural products, from something edible like fruits and vegetables to something just for the eyes like ornamental plants. Make sure you bring your reusable bag to shop the eco-friendly way. And if you’re good in haggling for discounts, go ahead so you could bring home more!