Philippine tourist spot gets road network boost

The construction of a road network in one of the Philippines' top tourist destinations is contributing to its aim of becoming the country's number one tourist attraction.

Located just an hour's flight away from the capital Manila, Puerto Princesa City is the gateway to the province known as the Philippines' last frontier - Palawan. 

But with very few paved roads, travelling by land to the breathtaking scenes here can be time consuming and dangerous. 

Puerto Princesa City Department of Public Works and Highway engineer Mario Tupas said: "The road going to the north was just a gravel road, a rough road. 

"It was very dusty especially during the hot summer months, and very slippery when it rains. Many were afraid to travel and use the highway."

That changed with the construction of the Palawan North Road.

Through the help of the Asian Development Bank, a 134-kilometre concrete road stretching from the capital to the northeastern coast of Palawan island was built. 

Mr Tupas said: "It became easier for commuters and tourists to travel back and forth. It also became more convenient for fishermen to sell and bring their catch to the city because there was more transport available. 

"There were only two buses servicing the community in the north before. Now, every hour, there's a bus available to bring people to and from the city."

With the construction of the Palawan North Road, travel time from the capital to major tourist destinations has now been cut to half, further boosting tourism in the area, which now has become the major source of income for residents here. 

One of them is Nonalie Insic, who used to rely on her fisherman husband's earnings to feed their five children. 

Now, she has become the family's breadwinner, as her income from being a tourist van inspector has doubled with the influx of tourists visiting the province's famed beach resorts and pristine islands.

She said: "Our daily trips doubled. Plus, we also have additional special trips every day because of the many tourists coming daily. Our company became bigger."

With the city's underground river being proclaimed as one of the world's New 7 Wonders of Nature, the Palawan North Road has become an important gateway to the city's main tourist attraction. 

From 160,000 tourists in 2007, to 514,000 tourists last year, the city expects tourist numbers to reach 700,000 this year. 

Aside from the Palawan North Road network, more infrastructure projects are in the pipeline as Puerto Princesa City aims to become the country's number one tourist destination.