This Week in Palawan (June 8 to 14, 2019)

Overcast skies with showers and thunderstorms will prevail over Palawan this week [1]. There’s a high chance of seeing rain showers on Saturday and Sunday (June 8 and 9), so don’t forget to bring your umbrella when you go outdoors. If you want to explore places, schedule it on Monday to Wednesday and Friday (June 10 to 12, and 14) when there would be no rain showers but only gray skies. And although it’s already rainy season, expect the temperature to be hot at 29°C to 34.4°C during daytime. Warm nights at 26.1°C to 28.3°C will also be experienced throughout the week.

Tricycle drivers who are overcharging commuters, including tourists, are now the target of crackdown launched by the City government’s Anti-Crime Task Force [2]. Numerous reports against abusive tricycle drivers flooded social media, prompting the authority to kick off the campaign on May 23, said task force chief Richard Ligad. On the first day of clamp down, 12 tricycle drivers were initially caught on video overcharging the task force personnel disguising as passengers. The regular tariff for the first two kilometers is PhP10 with an additional PhP1.50 for every kilometer, based on the City’s tricycle fare guide, However, some scrupulous drivers take advantage and charge as much as PhP100 or even higher. Once proven guilty, the driver’s tricycle unit will be impounded and he will be issued a ticket to pay the PhP3,000 fine.

Banwa Private Island - dubbed as the world’s most expensive resort - is up for inspection this month in regards to its compliance with tourism and environmental laws. Regional tourism chief Danilo Intong said the luxury resort in Roxas town has yet to be accredited, pending its submission of required documents, including the waste water discharge permit. A resort representative, meanwhile, assured they are not yet operating and will only accept bookings after securing all the necessary permits. The six-hectare Banwa Private Island, boasting of six beachfront villas and other world-class facilities, made headlines last month for its nightly rate of USD 100,000 or around PhP5 million [3].

Travel platform TripAdvisor has recently named Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) as a Hall of Fame awardee after earning its certificate of excellence for five consecutive years since 2015 [4]. Park chief Elizabeth Maclang said the feat signifies their consistency in providing excellent travel and tour experiences to guests who gave the attraction favorable reviews. Maclang vows to continuously improve their booking system and observe park policies and guidelines to maintain the destination’s ecological integrity which it is famous for. TripAdvisor allows tourists to share their experiences from accommodations, restaurants, and attractions with the largest travel community in the world. PPUR, also known as the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, is a government-managed natural park recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.

For more travel updates on Palawan, visit Yoorekka.com.