Puerto Princesa Lungsod ng Puerto Princesa | |
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| City of Puerto Princesa | |
     From top, left to right: Emerald Beach and Nature Park, Dos Palmas Resort,Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Palawan Provincial Capitol, Puerto Princesa Baywalk | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nicknames: | |
| Anthem: Martsa ng Puerto Princesa (Puerto Princesa March) | |
 Map of Mimaropa with Puerto Princesa highlighted | |
 Interactive map of Puerto Princesa | |
.svg)  Puerto Princesa Location within thePhilippines | |
| Coordinates:9°44′24″N118°44′38″E / 9.74°N 118.744°E /9.74; 118.744 | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Mimaropa |
| Province | Palawan(geographically only) |
| District | 3rd district |
| Founded | March 4, 1872 |
| Cityhood | January 1, 1970 |
| Highly urbanized city | July 21, 2007 |
| Named after | Infanta Eulalia of Spain (asPuerto de la Princesa)[3] |
| Barangays | 66 (seeBarangays) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Panlungsod |
| • Mayor | Lucilo R. Bayron |
| • Vice Mayor | Peter Q. Maristela |
| • Representative | Gil A. Acosta Jr. |
| • City Council | Members
|
| • Electorate | 181,815 voters (2025) |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,381.02 km2 (919.32 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 98 m (322 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 1,257 m (4,124 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2024 census)[6] | |
• Total | 316,384 |
| • Density | 132.878/km2 (344.151/sq mi) |
| • Households | 82,134 |
| Economy | |
| • Income class | 1st city income class |
| • Poverty incidence | 4.8 |
| • Revenue | ₱ 5,322 million (2022) |
| • Assets | ₱ 16,798 million (2022) |
| • Expenditure | ₱ 3,814 million (2022) |
| Service provider | |
| • Electricity | Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| ZIP code | 5300, 5301 (Iwahig Penal Colony) |
| PSGC | |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)48 |
| Native languages | Ibatag Palawano Tagalog |
| Website | puertoprincesa |
Puerto Princesa,[a] officially theCity of Puerto Princesa (Cuyonon:Siyudad i'ang Puerto Princesa;Filipino:Lungsod ng Puerto Princesa), is ahighly urbanized city in theMimaropa region of thePhilippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 316,384 people.[8]
It is a city located in the westernPhilippine province ofPalawan and is thewesternmost city in thePhilippines. Though the seat of government and capital of the province, the city itself is one of 38independent cities within the Philippines not controlled by the province in which it is geographically located and is therefore an independent area located within Palawan for its geographical and statistical purposes by thePhilippine Statistics Authority. It is the largest city in the province of Palawan and theMimaropa region.
It is the least densely populated city in the Philippines with 110 inhabitants per square kilometer (280 inhabitants/mi2). In terms of land area, the city is the second largest geographically afterDavao City with an area of 2,381.02 square kilometers (919.32 sq mi).[9] Puerto Princesa is the location of the Philippines'Western Command headquarters.[10]
Today, Puerto Princesa is atourist city with many beach resorts and seafood restaurants. It has been acclaimed several times as the cleanest and greenest city in the Philippines.[11]
The namePuerto Princesa has several possible origins. It is said to have been attributed by locals to a princess-like maiden who roams the place on certain nights of the year, while other accounts attribute its geographical advantage as a seaport which is a naturally protected area due to its surrounding mountains, and is characterized by a depth able to accommodate any size of shipping vessel.[12]
There are two official versions about the actual origin of the name. The first is that place was originally named Port of the Princess (Spanish:Puerto de la Princesa) afterInfanta Eulalia, one of the princesses born toIsabella II of Spain and her consort,Francis, Duke of Cádiz[3][b] Another version, however, states that the place was originally named Port Asuncion (Spanish:Puerto de Asunción), allegedly named after another daughter of Isabella II and the Duke of Cadiz. In this version, the princess suffered an untimely death, which prompted the Queen to change the name toPuerto de la Princesa, and was eventually shortened to Puerto Princesa. However, this second version is likely to be incorrect, as Isabella and Francis did not have a daughter named Asunción.[14]
Spanish colonists founded the settlement on March 4, 1872, in the course of their exploration of the province. As they scanned the Palawan shoreline for a capital site, they came upon a hill with steep declivity. Rowing to shore, they surveyed the hill and discovered an extensive plateau which they decided as ideal for settlement.
Soon after, Fr. Antonio Muro levelled a portion of the hill to make way for a chapel (that section is now occupied by theRoman Catholic Cathedral, the P.C. Barracks and the Rizal Park, the Old Municipal Building used to be there, as well as an Elementary School). The first mass celebrated in Puerto Princesa took place at a site where a marker now stands.
In May 1872, thePort of Puerto Princesa became the center of Spanish naval operations in the area because the Bay met all the navy's requirements. Royal decrees later provided incentives to settlers, and by 1883 the settlement had flourished into a town of twelve roads, a hospital and well-built port.
In 1894, Puerto Princesa was recognized by government authorities as one of the most beautiful towns in the country by virtue of the orderly distribution of streets, buildings and houses as well as the cleanliness of the community.[15]
In 1911, the New American Administration made Puerto Princesa the seat of the Palawan Provincial Government with Major John Brown as Lieutenant Governor.
In the year 1936, Governor Heginio Mendoza made a directive on the transfer of the Palawan High School (currently Palawan National School) from the island municipality of Cuyo to the central place of the province, which was the Municipality of Puerto Princesa.[16]
During thePacific campaign ofWorld War II and theJapanese occupation, the village was largely abandoned. On May 18, 1942, Japanese troops landed and occupied Puerto Princesa City.[17]
TheFilipino Constabulary barracks was the scene of thePalawan Massacre, just before liberation with the alliedInvasion of Palawan.[18]
In 1951, the barrios of Tinitian, Caramay, Rizal, Del Pilar, Malcampo, Tumarbong, Taradungan, Ilian, and Capayas were separated to form the town ofRoxas.[19]
In 1955, thesitios of Materingen, Tandayag, Nasedoc, and Panlawagan were separated from the barrio of Maroyogon and elevated into a barrio.[20]
In 1956, the sitios of Calagbenguen, Tarabanan, Bendoyan, Talabigan, Tagbuan, and Langogan were constituted into the barrio of Concepcion.[21]
In 1957, the barrio ofTapul was renamed toSalvacion.[22]
The town was converted into a city on January 1, 1970, underRepublic Act 5906 as amended byP.D. 437,[23][24] through the effort of then CongressmanRamon Mitra, Jr. Feliberto R. Oliveros, Jr., who then became the first City Mayor. In 1987, the port of Puerto Princesa was put under the administration of the Philippine Ports Authority, expanding the city's importance nationally and advancing its infrastructure.[25]
On March 26, 2007, through Proclamation No. 1264, the city of Puerto Princesa was converted into a highly urbanized city. A plebiscite was held on July 21, 2007, where majority of residents voted in its favor. In 2011, the President launched a nationwide campaign for the inclusion of Puerto Princesa's underground river into the New Seven Wonders of Nature.[26] This campaign came into fruition when thePuerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, the city's top heritage site, was recognized internationally as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature in 2012.[27]
In May 2001,Abu Sayyaf gunmen entered the luxury Dos Palmas Resort inHonda Bay just off the coast of Puerto Princesa andkidnapped 20 people from the resort, including four resort staff and three Americans.[28]
On the morning of January 24, 2011, broadcast journalist and former politicianGerry Ortega was at an "ukay-ukay" (used clothing) thrift store in Puerto Princesa when he was murdered by a gunman.[29][30][31][32] After a brief chase, police apprehended the alleged shooter, Marlon Recamata,[29] who confessed to the crime at the Puerto Princesa Police Office and implicated three other persons.[30] In 2015, former Palawan governorMario Joel Reyes was arrested inThailand after being charged by the city court in connection with the crime.[33] Various courts went back and forth in ordering the arrest or non-arrest of Reyes, with him being released from jail in 2018 upon orders of theCourt of Appeals but ultimately ordered rearrested in 2023, with him surrendering to theNational Bureau of Investigation inMetro Manila in September 2024.[33][34][35]
Puerto Princesa is located in the mid-section ofPalawan Island. It is bound to the east by theSulu Sea, to the west by theSouth China Sea, to the north by the municipalities ofSan Vicente andRoxas, and to the south by the municipality ofAborlan. It is approximately 306 nautical miles (567 km) from the Philippine capital ofManila, 205 nautical miles (380 km) fromPanay and 250 nautical miles (460 km) fromZamboanga City on the southern Philippine island ofMindanao.
Puerto Princesa is politically subdivided into 66barangays. Each barangay consists ofpuroks and some havesitios.
These barangays are grouped into twodistricts. Currently, there are 35 barangays of which are classified as urban barangays.[36]
Puerto Princesa features atropical wet and dry climate (Köppen climate classification Aw). It is usually wet from May to December, with very little rain from January to April. Average temperature is 27.43 °C (81.37 °F) while the annual average rainfall is 1,563.8 millimetres (61.57 in) per year. It is warm and humid all year round.On 23 April 2025 the town reached 37.0 °C (98.6 °F) for the first time in history.
| Climate data for Puerto Princesa City (1991–2020, extremes 1951–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 34.4 (93.9) | 34.6 (94.3) | 36.4 (97.5) | 37.0 (98.6) | 36.0 (96.8) | 35.6 (96.1) | 35.2 (95.4) | 35.2 (95.4) | 35.2 (95.4) | 36.0 (96.8) | 34.8 (94.6) | 34.2 (93.6) | 37.0 (98.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.9 (87.6) | 31.1 (88.0) | 31.9 (89.4) | 32.9 (91.2) | 32.9 (91.2) | 32.1 (89.8) | 31.5 (88.7) | 31.6 (88.9) | 31.7 (89.1) | 31.6 (88.9) | 31.4 (88.5) | 31.0 (87.8) | 31.7 (89.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 27.3 (81.1) | 27.4 (81.3) | 28.1 (82.6) | 28.9 (84.0) | 29.1 (84.4) | 28.4 (83.1) | 28.0 (82.4) | 28.0 (82.4) | 28.0 (82.4) | 27.9 (82.2) | 27.9 (82.2) | 27.7 (81.9) | 28.1 (82.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 23.8 (74.8) | 23.7 (74.7) | 24.3 (75.7) | 25.0 (77.0) | 25.3 (77.5) | 24.8 (76.6) | 24.4 (75.9) | 24.3 (75.7) | 24.3 (75.7) | 24.2 (75.6) | 24.4 (75.9) | 24.3 (75.7) | 24.4 (75.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 18.3 (64.9) | 18.5 (65.3) | 19.2 (66.6) | 20.9 (69.6) | 21.3 (70.3) | 16.2 (61.2) | 20.6 (69.1) | 20.5 (68.9) | 20.6 (69.1) | 20.9 (69.6) | 19.2 (66.6) | 19.2 (66.6) | 16.2 (61.2) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 55.6 (2.19) | 30.7 (1.21) | 37.1 (1.46) | 49.3 (1.94) | 125.8 (4.95) | 157.0 (6.18) | 170.4 (6.71) | 173.4 (6.83) | 172.0 (6.77) | 212.9 (8.38) | 196.3 (7.73) | 174.9 (6.89) | 1,555.4 (61.24) |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.1 mm) | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 120 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 80 | 79 | 78 | 77 | 80 | 83 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 82 | 82 |
| Source:PAGASA[37][38] | |||||||||||||
Population census of Puerto Princesa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source:Philippine Statistics Authority[39][40][41][42][43] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In the 2024 census, the population of Puerto Princesa was 316,384 people,[44] with a density of 130 inhabitants per square kilometer or 340 inhabitants per square mile.
Waves of migrants from other Philippine provinces, and even other countries, have turned Puerto Princesa into a melting pot of various cultures. Among the original inhabitants are the Cuyonons who have a rich legacy of folklore and traditions. Indigenous groups include theTagbanwas, Palawanos, Molbogs andBataks, each group with its distinct culture and system of beliefs.
Total inhabitants number 307,079 (as of 2020), of which three-quarter of the population resides in the city proper, an urban settlement on the shores of Puerto Princesa Bay. Although the predominant language isTagalog,Cuyonon is widely spoken and used throughout the whole city, as well asHiligaynon, otherVisayan languages, andEnglish.
Poverty incidence of Puerto Princesa
Source:Philippine Statistics Authority[45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52]
Puerto Princesa is known as the "Eco-Tourism Center of the Philippines".[1] In recent years, the city has seen an increase in the number of tourists bringing with them trade and businesses for the city.[citation needed] Many hotels ranging from basic to five-star luxury accommodations have been developed since the 1990s to cater to a growing number of foreign and local tourists in the city.[citation needed]
There are also a number of restaurants, bars and shopping malls, including theRobinsons Place Palawan, NCCC Mall Palawan, Unitop Mall Puerto Princesa, as well as the recently[when?] openedSM City Puerto Princesa.
Some tourists who come to Puerto Princesa visit thePuerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, one of theNew7Wonders of Nature, located 50 kilometers (31 mi) north of the city.[53] The city is also the jump-off point for exploring theTubbataha Reef.
ThePuerto Princesa International Airport is within the city proper. Puerto Princesa is accessible by direct flights to and from the major cities of the Philippines, such asManila,Cebu,Davao,Iloilo, andClark, as well as other parts of Palawan, such asCuyo,Busuanga,San Vicente, andEl Nido.
The city is served by domestic passenger ferries to Cuyo, Manila,Coron and Iloilo at thePort of Puerto Princesa.
The main modes of transport are viatricycles,jeepneys and vans-for-hire (or PUVs/public utility vehicles).Taxis started operating since April 2015, plying through the city center and nearby tourist destinations. Provincial buses and jeepneys operate from the San Jose terminal located 7 kilometers (4.3 mi) north of the city center off the National Highway.
Then-Puerto Princesa MayorEdward S. Hagedorn unveiled the environment friendly and economicalelectric-powered "Trikebayan" (which does not emit any noise orcarbon monoxide) at the Kapihan sa Sulo forum, Sulo Hotel,Quezon City. The Trikebayan costs only₱48 or $1.20 per day to operate, while a gasoline-poweredtricycle operation would cost₱200.[54] Rolly Concepcion, who conceptualized the Trikebayan, said that converting a tricycle engine to electric costs₱68,000. The rechargeable battery under the passenger seat can run for 12 hours.[55] There was a dealership for these trikes on the north highway but it closed down in 2011.
Although Puerto Princesa has this bold plan for electric vehicles, the municipal government and tourist office has stated (when asked by a tourist in August 2011),[better source needed] that it has no published or announced plan for providing for the current and future needs and safety of pedestrians or bicycle riders. Spaces for walking and bicycling from one place to another are not being considered.[citation needed]
Hospitals in the city include:
Elected and appointed public officials have governed Puerto Princesa, with a strong mayor-council government. The city political government is composed of the mayor, vice mayor, ten councilors, oneSangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation representative, an Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) representative and Indigenous People's Mandatory Representative (IPMR). Each official is elected publicly to a three-year terms.
The following are the current city officials of Puerto Princesa:
All of the major television broadcasting channels' regional offices are located in the city.ABS-CBN Corporation expanded its network in Palawan by establishing ABS-CBN Palawan, which operatesABS-CBN channel 7 Puerto Princesa,ABS-CBN Sports and Action PalawanDYAP-AM andMOR! Local shows such asTV Patrol Palawan are broadcast throughout the region via ABS-CBN Regional, which is also stationed in the city.Bandera News Philippines's airs shows via channel 40 Local Shows Such as Alerto 38,GMA Network's channel 12 andGMA News TV channel 27 are also available.
The city's cable and satellite TV companies include Puerto Princesa Cable Television (PPCATV)
Puerto Princesa has a number of FM and AM radio stations, some of which operate 24 hours daily.
Haikou,Hainan, China[58]
Hsinchu, Taiwan, since February 10, 2006[59]
Maui County,Hawaii, USA, since March 5, 1999[60]Historically, the place was named after Princess Eulalia of Spain, born in 1864 to Queen Isabel II and her consort, Dr. [sic] Francisco de Asis.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)To date, Quezon City has sister-city ties with 11 other Philippine cities and municipalities—Sadangga in Mountain Province; General Santos City; Pura, Tarlac; Davao City; Iloilo City; Wao, Lanao del Sur; Cotabato City; La Trinidad, Benguet; Puerto Princesa; Banay-Banay, Davao Oriental; and Alicia, Isabela.
Establishment of Sister Cities Since：10 Feb, 2006
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