My trip to Palawan was something unplanned. Though going there was on top of a much bigger plan to visit all the provinces in the Philippines, my personal finances forbid such luxury. My friend Kelly and I wanted to start a small venture that would require us to go to Palawan so I grabbed the excuse opportunity to spend money without feeling guilty.

Palawan,Come Hell or High Water

There were several instances that would have made us cancel our trip if we weren’t that determined. First, our original boat trip was delayed for a day due to Typhoon Cosme. The sea was not so friendly on our way to Puerto Princesa so a lot of passengers got seasick. Second, Kelly’s friend who’s supposed to be our guide backed out at the last minute. It will be the first time for us to visit Palawan, we have a heavy cargo (yes, cargo), and we don’t know anybody there except for an acquaintance. Despite all the odds, we decided to go. And how our determination was rewarded.

The Journey Is As Good As The Destination

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” - Henry Miller

M/V Maria Isabel of Montenegro Shipping Lines departs from Iloilo at 6am every Saturdays. We left on SUnday because of the original trip’s cancellation. The trip from Iloilo to Puerto Princesa will take 24-26 hours by boat including the 2-hour stopover at Cuyo Island. Traveling by boat can be grueling especially in bad weather. Make sure to take anti-dizziness tablet if you don’t want your entire trip to be miserable. If you do get seasick, the best way to spend the boat trip is to sleep. Or better yet, if you have the money, take the plane instead.

“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” - Tim Cahill

For us who love the sea, traveling by boat can be quite enjoyable. Twenty-four hours is enough to find a friend or business contacts so make sure you have your business cards with you. This one particular trip was a very fruitful one for us. We met friends, potential business contacts, and discovered future destinations.

The stopover at Cuyo Island was a good opportunity for me to have a glimpse of life in this remote Island. Though the two-hour stopover at every trip was not enough to explore the island, it’s enough to tickle my curiosity piqued by the movie Ploning. What I saw was enough to make me want to come back to this exotic island.

A Melting Pot of Culture

Drawn to its beauty, waves of local and foreign migrants flocked to Palawan making it a melting pot of cultures. Tagalog is widely used in conversations since most people came from different provinces in the country. I learned that a lot of Ilonggos have settled in the province. In fact, there were several municipal mayors who hailed from Iloilo. Several successful businesses were also owned by Ilonggos. I was told that of the Christian immigrants in the province , majority are Ilonggos. This should not be a surprise after all since Puerto Princesa is closer to Panay at 206 nautical miles than to Manila at 306 nautical miles. That made me feel at ease and at home.

So Many Islands, So Little Time

Palawan, every island an adventure.

Every Island an adventure. This is the tag line of the Province of Palawan and it is so true. Puerto Princesa City deserves to be the Eco-Tourism Capital of the Philippines. Aside from its natural beauty, the city has the appropriate infrastructures that will give other major destinations in the world a run for their money. We were lucky enough to visit most of the tourist attractions of including the Underground River but still there are a lot of interesting places to explore and discover.

Of the 7,107 islands of the Philippine archipelago, 1,768 belongs to Palawan province. Imagine how much adventure you’ll have!

Come Back, Come Back!

Our guide, Nang Neneng from the City Tourism Office, happens to be an Ilongga. She told us that anyone who visits Palawan always comes back that’s why the term “come back-come back” was coined. Indeed, anyone who’ve seen the beauty of Palawan will never have enough of it. It’s no wonder that people keep coming back. Palawan is the closest you can get to Paradise on Earth.