San Vicente at its best
San Vicente is a 1st class municipality in the northern part of the Last Ecological Frontier of the Philippines, Palawan. Gaining national and international attention because of its 15-km contiguous, long, white beach and 22 islands and islets, this town hosts around 35,000 multi-ethnic residents, biologically-diverse natural ecosystems, and an increasing number of tourists. Recently declared as the first and only Flagship Tourism Enterprise Zone (Flagship TEZ) in the whole Philippines by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), and the pilot site of Climate Change Commission’s Eco-Town Project, this municipality will soon become a center of tourism and sustainable development in this part of the country.
Let’s find out more about this municipality’s story by reading below excerpts from the official messages of the Mayor and Vice-Mayor published in their official website, www.sanvicpalawan.com: sanvicpalawan.com
Who else can best describe San Vicente but its leaders!
From the desk of Mayor Pie Alvarez
“San Vicente was once a sleeping town in the northern part of Palawan, only known for the logging activities it once had in the 1970s through end of 1980s.
But more than the logging operations, there were two other major reasons why San Vicente attracted migrants and backpackers. It has a very, very rich fishing grounds stories say you just pick shrimps, lobsters and fishes on a knee-deep seaside; and it is home to 22 virgin islands, islets, and a very long, contiguous white beach with powdery gray and white sand – a perfect mix for migrants looking for a bountiful source of food and livelihood, and tourists looking for laid-back lifestyle in an unspoiled, hidden paradise.
But naturally, you can’t keep something like this hidden for long – word of mouth spread among backpackers in Europe, some foreigners decided to stay and married locals, put up small-scale resorts, and hosted an increasing number of tourists, year in and out; on the other hand, fishermen from Cuyo, Agutaya, to as far as Visayas, some parts of Luzon and Mindanao started to bring in their families and relatives, eventually settling down in the town’s coastal communities, and becoming part of the local population.
I and my family are part of the migrants who decided to stay in this beautiful ‘paradise in a jungle’. My uncles Tony and AVG were blessed to have been chosen by the people of San Vicente to lead them for more than two decades, and we are proud to share with you that our brand of leadership has consistently applied and upheld the tenets of sustainable development, guarding resource use to sustainable level only, and keeping the integrity of our paradise intact – for our local residents and tourists alike.
While we opened San Vicente for mass tourism, our leadership remains mindful that we need to preserve its beauty for generations to come. Our Tourism Master Plan, masterfully crafted by Palafox Associates in partnership with TIEZA (Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority) and our local planners and stakeholders, is anchored on sustainable development principles and eco-town framework – green and adaptive architecture for resorts and support infrastructure, green value chain for tourism stakeholders and activities, and inclusive development for all; the latter ensures that development efforts are respectful of the rights and culture of the local residents, and that the economic benefits are equitably shared to all stakeholders.
It is our hope that as we open our doors for you, you too are mindful of the privilege to commune with nature at its best, and its accompanying responsibility of helping preserve its beauty – for your next visit, your fellow tourists’ and the next generations to come.
Yours,
Mayor Pie”
From the desk of Vice-Mayor Antonio V. Gonzales
“Travelers here in Palawan are usually warned that they may acquire a certain “disease” that will make them return in this enchanting province, and eventually, make them decide to stay – for good. Naturalized Palaweños aptly call the “disease” “comeback-comeback”, a Filipinized expression which meant “keep on coming back”.
I was inflicted with that “disease” the first time I set foot here in San Vicente some 30 years ago – when the town was never heard of, had no electricity yet, had no decent roads, when travelling to the province’s capital Puerto Princesa would take you eight, sometimes 16 hours, on the road. Migrants like I, however, frolicked on the virgin white sand beaches, islands, islets, waterfalls, dive sites, and the natural bounties they have – talk about what seemed to be limitless seafood, unspoiled coral systems, uber rich natural resources, and a simple lifestyle absent in many busy metropolis. San Vicente was, and is a paradise.
I am proud to share with you all that San Vicente has remained a paradise, with the thickest forest cover in the whole country at 75.24%, and with virtually untouched islands and islets – despite migration, resource extraction, tourism activities and other pressures from poverty and globalization. We at the local government, in partnership with other government agencies, non-government and people’s organizations, have labored to protect the paradise from wanton destruction, and prepared it well for sustainable use and development. Today, residents and tourists alike can enjoy San Vicente without the hassle of having to commute eight to 16 hours on the road; the travel time is shortened to two to four hours by land, and hopefully becomes more accessible with the opening of our regional airport; other support infrastructure and amenities are also in place to make everyone’s stay as convenient and enjoyable as possible.
I hope you will join us in preserving this town’s beauty by observing our local laws, rules and regulations; it’s being a paradise partly lies on your hands. We owe this to our children and our children’s children, as they too ought to enjoy the same paradise that attracted many of us to come, visit, stay and live in this charming municipality of northern Palawan.
Take this from someone who came, came back, stayed and never left.
Hope to see you here!
AVG”