This Week in Palawan (November 23 to 29, 2019)

Although the week will start with cloudy skies with an afternoon thunderstorm in spots, Palawan will see more sunshine throughout the week, except on the last day which will have spotty morning showers. Hot daytime temperature ranging from 28°C to 30°C all over the week will also be felt across Palawan. And what better way to cool off during these scorching hot days than going to a beach or waterfalls? However, prolonged exposure to sunlight is harmful to your skin, so it’s better if you slather on sunscreen before anything else. Of course, drink plenty of water and consume watery fruits to keep you hydrated. At night time, the temperature will likewise be warm to hot, ranging from 24°C to 27°C [1].

Budget carrier Cebu Pacific launched its maiden Puerto Princesa-Hong Kong flight on November 17 [2]. Earlier, Cebu Pacific said flights between Palawan and Hong Kong operate four times a week. “Flight 5J 5306 departs Puerto Princesa at 3:35pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays; and at 4:05pm on Saturdays. The return flight, 5J 5307 departs Hong Kong at 7:30pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays; and at 8:00pm on Saturdays,” it said [3]. The company claimed it was the first airline to fly direct between Puerto Princesa, Palawan and Hong Kong, one of the largest global aviation hubs. The airline also launched its Clark-Puerto Princesa flight on the same day. “Together, these two new routes increase capacity to Puerto Princesa by 7%,” it further said.

Puerto Princesa City is aspiring to be the “Birding Capital of the Philippines,” a title that has gained the support of the Wild Bird Photographers of the Philippines [4]. Numerous studies, backed up by the observations of bird photographers, proved the city is a haven for endemic bird species, said city environment officer Atty. Carlo Gomez during the 5th International Bird Photography Race earlier this month. Gomez said out of the Philippines’ 117 bird species, 24 are only found in Palawan, particularly in Puerto Princesa City. “Our basis in declaring Puerto Princesa City as the bird capital of the Philippine is because it is easy to find birds here within the urban areas, establishments, in Underground River, and in many other sites,” he said. Meanwhile, tourism regional director Danilo Intong said they “will just wait for the resolution from Puerto Princesa to reach our office so that we can work out with our principals and tourism promotions board.”

The Department of Tourism is applying for a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to fund its clean-up efforts in El Nido and Coron [5]. Tourism regional director Danilo Intong said the assistance will focus on solid waste management as well as the capacity building of local stakeholders to maintain a sustainable environment for the two areas. “They’re still studying it thoroughly through workshops with the stakeholders to determine how much we’ll be loaning from the ADB but definitely we need the sewage treatment plants and water supply in Coron,” he said. El Nido and Coron are two of the country’s top tourist destinations that face environmental problems threatening their tourism industry’s sustainability. Following Boracay’s six-month closure, the national government then announced the two tourism towns’ rehabilitation.

For the must-visit places for you Palawan vacation, head to Yoorekka.com.