Puerto Princesa

A 1904 map of Puerto Princesa

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 the Roman 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, the Port 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.

Plaza Cuartel, the site of the infamous Palawan Massacre committed by the Imperial Japanese Army

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.[12]

During the Pacific campaign of World War II and the Japanese occupation, the village was largely abandoned. On May 18, 1942, Japanese troops landed and occupied Puerto Princesa City.[13]

The Filipino Constabulary barracks was the scene of the Palawan Massacre, just before liberation with the allied Invasion of Palawan.[14]

In 1951, the barrios of Tinitian, Caramay, Rizal, Del Pilar, Malcampo, Tumarbong, Taradungan, Ilian, and Capayas were separated to form the town of Roxas.[15]

In 1955, the sitios of Materingen, Tandayag, Nasedoc, and Panlawagan were separated from the barrio of Maroyogon and elevated into a barrio.[16]

In 1956, the sitios of Calagbenguen, Tarabanan, Bendoyan, Talabigan, Tagbuan, and Langogan were constituted into the barrio of Concepcion.[17]

In 1957, the barrio of Tapul was renamed to Salvacion.[18]

The town was converted into a city on January 1, 1970, under Republic Act 5906 as amended by P.D. 437,[19][20] through the effort of then Congressman Ramon Mitra, Jr. Feliberto R. Oliveros, Jr., who then became the first City Mayor.

On March 26, 2007, Proclamation No. 1264, converting the city of Puerto Princesa into a highly urbanized city, was signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. The plebiscite was held along with Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu on July 21, 2007. The majority of voters voted to accept the conversion into a HUC. Puerto Princesa became the 31st highly urbanized city in the Philippines. Meanwhile, the "Yes" votes won in Lapu-Lapu City, making the city as the 32nd highly urbanized city in the country.

In May 2001, Abu Sayyaf gunmen entered the luxury Dos Palmas Resort in Honda Bay just off the coast of Puerto Princesa and kidnapped 20 people from the resort, including four resort staff and three Americans.[21]

Since its foundation, Puerto Princesa has been the nerve center of activities in Palawan. Aside from being the seat of public administration, it is the heart of trade, commerce, service, and industry in the province.

Puerto Princesa is politically subdivided into 66 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

These barangays are grouped into two districts. Currently, there are 35 barangays of which are classified as urban barangays.[22]

Sabang Beach

Puerto Princesa features a tropical wet and dry climate (Köppen climate classification Aw). It is usually wet from May to December and 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.

The Puerto 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 as Manila, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, and Clark, as well as other parts of Palawan, such as Cuyo, Busuanga, San Vicente, and El Nido.

The city is served by domestic passenger ferries to Cuyo, Manila, Coron and Iloilo at the Port of Puerto Princesa.

Tricycles within the city

The main modes of transport are via tricycles, 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 km north of the city center off the National Highway.

Puerto Princesa then Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn unveiled the environment-friendly and economical electric-powered “Trikebayan” (which does not emit any noise or carbon 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-powered tricycle operation would cost ₱200.[37] 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.[38] Mr. Conception died before the project was completed.

This did not discourage the previous mayor Hagedorn from pursuing a dream of seeing all electric vehicles, especially replacing the gas tricycles in the city. 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), 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.

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 operates ABS-CBN channel 7 Puerto Princesa, ABS-CBN Sports and Action Palawan DYAP-AM and MOR! Local shows such as TV 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 and GMA 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.

• Quezon City, Metro Manila[39]
• General Santos

• Haikou, Hainan, China[40]
• Hsinchu, Taiwan, since February 10, 2006[41]
• Maui County, Hawaii, USA, since March 5, 1999[42]