Puerto Princesa - Palawan's Pride
Protecting and preserving the eco-system is never a thankless job. The benefits reaped by the Province of Palawan and its capital of Puerto Princesa City in terms of a better quality of life and a booming tourism industry are consequences of their sincere caring for Mother Nature.
Take a cab on the northern tip of Puerto Princesa City and ask the driver to take you straight across to its southernmost end at a decent cruising speed of 60 miles per hour. Two hours later, you will find yourself still well within city limits! That is because Puerto Princesa City, the capital of the Province of Palawan, is the largest city in the Philippine Archipelago. It is 140 kilometers long and 50 kilometers wide. It began as a small port settlement founded by the Spanish colonists in 1872, and proclaimed by law as a city a century later. Fortunately, despite the passage of the years, this port city of Palawan did not follow the road to decay that was trodden by most old cities, thanks to its leaders and inhabitants that joined hands to make Puerto Princesa City the cleanest and greenest city in the Philippines.
The close affinity of the people of Palawan to Mother Nature can be seen from the way they celebrate their annual Feast of the Forest. At the onset of the rainy season, the residents and tourists alike undertake a massive tree planting activity in a festive atmosphere. Today, Puerto Princesa City is a nature paradise and it has one of the world's biggest sanctuaries of replanted and old growth forest with a staggering three-fourths forest cover! On top of this, the city government has effectively stopped the destructive "slash and burn" farming method and dynamite fishing by offering alternative livelihood programs to upland farming families and coastal subsistence fishermen.
Here's my favorite link:
Island Life in Palawan
Ecological Tourism in Palawan
Puerto Princesa has been Voted the Cleanst City in the Philippines
Waste disposal for a city of about a quarter of a million people can quickly turn into an ecological nightmare if not managed properly. Surprisingly, despite its rustic setting, the waste management system of Puerto Princesa City is one of the most advanced in the world, as it boasts of operating the first engineered sanitary landfills in the Philippines. As it had cleaned up the surrounding land and waters of Palawan Island, the ISO 9001 certified city government proceeded to clean up the air by requiring public transport utilities to convert to liquefied petroleum gas, an environment friendly fuel.Puerto Princesa - The Environment Friendly City
Puerto Princesa City is not only the cleanest and most environment-friendly city in the country-but it is also the most peaceful because it has the lowest crime rate compared to other cities in the Philippines. To be sure, the reputation of Palawan as the "last frontier" did not come about by accident. It was the will, the discipline and hard work of the citizens and city leaders to halt the degradation of the environment at the very gateway to Palawan that made it happen.
