Under the leadership of Mayor Lucilo R. Bayron, Puerto Princesa City received two honors at The Manila Times Philippine Model Cities and Municipalities Awards 2026, held on September 24 at The Manila Hotel in Manila.
The City was recognized in the Eco-Friendly and Tourism & Culture Hub categories, highlighting its continuing efforts in environmental protection and tourism development.
Mayor Bayron, who personally received the awards, welcomed the recognition and noted the strong participation of cities and municipalities from across the country.
“I was surprised to see The Manila Hotel filled with representatives from many cities and municipalities. We received two awards, Tourism & Culture Hub and Eco-Friendly City, and I believe Puerto Princesa deserves these recognitions because of the work we continue to do in tourism and environmental protection,” Mayor Bayron said.
Environmental protection and tourism development remain key priorities of the Bayron administration. While Puerto Princesa continues to strengthen established destinations such as the Puerto Princesa Underground River and Honda Bay, the City is also expanding into MICE, sports, cruise, night-time, and culinary tourism to create more opportunities for the local economy.
The Philippine Model Cities and Municipalities Awards is an annual program of The Manila Times, recognizing local government initiatives and practices in governance and community development. The 2026 edition was held in cooperation with Megaworld and P&A Grant Thornton and carried the theme, “More Than Resilience: Environmental Communities Cultivating First-World Economies.”
Mayor Bayron credited the recognition to the collective efforts of City Government offices and employees, particularly those directly involved in the City’s environmental and tourism programs.
“Congratulations to all our offices. City ENRO, City Tourism, and our other departments have worked together in advancing our tourism and environmental programs. These awards are the result of everyone’s collective effort,” Mayor Bayron added.
The latest recognitions add to Puerto Princesa’s growing list of national distinctions and provide added momentum for the Bayron administration to further strengthen the City’s tourism and environmental programs for the benefit of Puerto Princesans.
