PPUR campaign boosts Puerto Princesa tourism

QUEZON CITY, Mar. 24 (PIA) -- The Puerto Princesa city government’s campaign for Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) in Palawan to be among the New7Wonders of Nature has paid off—the local tourism industry is booming.
“In 2007, before we started the campaign we already had around 160,000 tourists,” said Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn. “But last year when we were declared one of the winners—though not officially proclaimed—we registered around 515,000 tourists.
The mayor said that based on tourism department figures, the local tourism is now a P4-billion industry.
Hagedorn added that “there are indications” that this number will increase to 700,000 to 800,000 tourists this year.
The PPUR will be officially inaugurated as one of the New7Wonders of Nature on April 21 at the One Esplanade in Pasay City, Metro Manila. Last December, the organizers of the competition announced that the PPUR made it to the list of winners.
In 1992, there were only 50 to 100 daily visitors to the cave and earned for the city government P3 million from entrance fees. Last year, the city government had to limit the carrying capacity of the cave to 700 persons daily. Moreover, income from entrance fees reached the P35-million mark, even as they charged the same rates, according to Hagedorn.
The city government, together with national government agencies and other sectors, has launched a massive campaign for the inclusion of the PPUR in the list.
The booming tourism industry, however, has put a burden on the city airport which was built to accommodate only four to five flights a day. But now there are 18 daily flights to Puerto Princesa. During the Community and News Exchange Forum yesterday at the PIA, Hagedorn appealed to the national government to fast track the expansion of the city airport.
“Sa ngayon ho pag nagsabay-sabay yung eroplano, hindi na magkasya doon sa loob [ng terminal], at napakainit na kasi kulang ang air conditioning units, kulang yung silya (The airport cannot accommodate people when planes arrive at the same time; and we lack air conditioning units, and chairs),” Hagedorn explained.
Apart from this, other infrastructure projects need to be implemented soon such as power generation, construction of hotels and hospitals. Hagedorn said plans are underway to address these needs.
So far, problem with the hotel accommodation is also being resolved for there are already several of hotel and resort constructions in the city.
Hagedorn also said national hospital in Puerto Princesa is also being expanded, and more are requesting for building permit to install new hospitals to attend to the medical and health needs of the visitors staying in the city.
Hagedorn was guest in the recently concluded Communication and News Exchange forum held at the Philippine Information Agency.
CNEX is sponsored by the Presidential Communications Operations Office, PIA and aired over PTV4 and DZRB Radyo ng Bayan. (RDA/PCCC/PIA-Central)
By Precie Catherine C. Cuarto