The Key To Recovering From Two Catastrophic Disasters In Two Years : Public-private Cooperation

The rehabilitation of Puerto Princesa, a world-renowned tourism attraction, depends on strong coordination and cooperation between the government and the commercial sector.

Last year, Puerto Princesa was on the mend, reopening its doors to visitors to see its pristine beaches, stunning caves, and lush green trees.

However, another tragedy struck the city, this time in the form of Super Typhoon Odette, which wreaked havoc on the city and caused even more issues for its residents.

Odette worsened the pandemic’s theft of roughly P10 billion in potential tourism profits, causing another P300 million in infrastructure and livelihood harm.

However, the twin disasters are insufficient to satiate the city’s hunger for recovery. Puerto Princesa is more motivated than ever to grow even stronger.

“There is no single entity that can pave the way to recovery. It necessitates a close collaboration between the public and private sectors. “If we in government are the administrators of the state, our private sector partners are the bloodline,” said Demetrio “Toto” Alvior, Jr., of Puerto Princesa Palawan City Tourism.

He emphasized that the two sectors are inextricably linked in Puerto Princesa and that the government is committed to assisting its partners in fully recovering from the twin calamities that struck the city two years ago.

“Enabling and supporting the private sector to preserve or continue business operations is critical to recovery.”

Apart from other government entities, our main partners are the combined impacts of small company operations,” Alvior explained.

Tourist attractions across the country were losing money as a result of individuals being encouraged to stay at home. The Department of Tourism reports that visitor receipts decreased by 83 percent in the first year of the pandemic, to P82.24 billion in 2020 from P482.15 billion in 2019.

‘I’ve never given up hope.’

The tourism department has three objectives for this year: complete rehabilitation of typhoon-damaged tourist destinations, completion of the P3.5 billion Puerto Princesa Cruise Port, and an aggressive marketing effort to attract both local and international visitors.

“In the two years since the epidemic, we have never stopped hoping for a better future. “It won’t be any different in 2022,” Alvior added.

Puerto Princesa, home to the famous Underground River, which is one of the world’s seven wonders, is finally welcoming local and foreign tourists back to its shores following restoration operations.

Puerto Princesa is preparing to welcome foreign tourists back with a renewed sense of confidence fueled by the lifting of travel restrictions for foreign tourists. The city, which is one of the country’s most famous tourist sites, has already immunized all of its tourism workers. Visitors will be able to take a break from the monotony of nearly three years of pandemic restrictions, while residents will be able to heal and rebuild their lives.

Small tourism-related businesses in Puerto Princesa will benefit from patronizing local cuisine and making hotel reservations, for example.

It’s about more than just tourism.

The capital city of Palawan, Puerto Princesa, is heavily reliant on tourism. Almost 15,000 individuals benefit from the sector in some form, from small enterprises that cater to tourists to major projects like hotels.

However, Alvior believes that this should serve as a reminder to the city to be open to new sources of income, such as agriculture, in the future.

“Agriculture aided us in surviving Odette’s storms and the pandemic’s impacts.” While we work to revive our tourism economy, both the public and private sectors must also focus on agriculture development,” he stated. Those planning a trip to Puerto Princesa should check out the city’s official Facebook page, Puerto Princesa Tourism, for the most up-to-date quarantine regulations.