Puerto Princesa City Archives

Ugong Rock Adventure in Brgy. Tagabinet, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan

October 21, 2015 by Josiah 6 Comments

While we were on the van on our way to the Underground River our tour guide told us that we will be doing a sidetrip to Ugong Rock Adventure. Remembering that we had lots of fun on my visit there last October 2010, I wanted to try it again and see the changes. Good thing I brought a generous amount of extra cash.

8:33 AM. Our van arrived at Ugong Rock Adventure. We first took photos with the large sign and we were guided to the briefing area.

In the briefing area we listened to what Ugong Rock Adventure was all about. It was a community based tourism which helps build work for people in Brgy. Tagabinet, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. What really struck me is their motto “Nag-enjoy ka na. Nakatulong ka pa.” Roughly translated to “You already enjoyed, you even helped.”

They also told us that if we availed of the Ugong Rock, we had an option to do the Zipline going down.

May 2015: Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour in Sabang, Puerto Princesa, Palawan

July 17, 2015 by Josiah 4 Comments

We arrived at Sabang for our Underground River Tour a little bit late so we got a queue number that would makenus wait for a significant amount of time. Our guide suggested that instead we bore ourselves to death, we could actually do some sidetrips in Sabang. We targetted the Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour and Sabang X Zipline.

We rode again the van then back on the road and turned right to a guarded gate. I already done the Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour before (read here) and this is my first time riding a van to get there that’s why the gate is a surprise to me. It says on the gate that we would need to pay a fee for us to pass by (I forgot how much was it.) Our group paid the fee since we will be passing by the private road. We reached the road parallel to the shore of Sabang and the van turned onto another gate which we need to pay another 10 Pesos/person except when your are doing the Sabang X Zipline. Since we were passing by private properties we had to respect the owner’s decision to use their facility for a fee.

Finally we arrived at the starting point for the Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour. Some of us decided to do the Sabang X Zipline (550 Pesos/person), while we decided to do the Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour.

10:49 AM – We registered, paid the fee of 350 Pesos/person, then given our lifevests and were guided to where we will ride their paddle boat.

When we were on the boat they first fetched umbrellas so that the sunlight would not be too much for us. They did not have this on my first visit to the Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour.

Crocodile Farm in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines

October 30, 2013 by Josiah 6 Comments

My plan was to head to Robinson’s Puerto Princesa to have lunch with my students but when I arrived where they were they already had lunch. When a jeepney going to Irawan passed by having a placard that says ‘Crocodile Farm‘ I asked them immediately if they wanted to go to the Crocodile Farm, they all said yes. But we were with friends, who tagged along, that did not want to go there. They said that they have already been there and it was not an enjoyable place for a visit and suggested that we should just go straight to Robinsons.

Multicab to Irawan with a ‘Crocodile Farm’ Placard

I had to make a quick decision whether we should go to Crocodile Farm or not. I based my decision on three reasons.

Just like my students, I still have not been to the Crocodile Farm.
The ones opposing were just tagging along.
What else are we going to do in Robinsons?
Enjoyment is relative.

I told them my decision that since they already had lunch, we will first be going to the Crocodile Farm to get hungry and after that we’ll be heading to Robinsons to have a snack. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone with my hunger as the sacrifice. The ones tagging along decided that they will be going home instead. A reminder to me that whatever decision we make, we cannot make everyone happy. I just had to prioritize to whom this trip was for.

So we waited again for another jeepney to Irawan to pass by and rode it going to the Crocodile Farm. So after about 20 minutes and 18 Pesos for a jeepney ride the driver dropped us off the gate of the Crocodile Farm.

Crocodile Farm and Nature Park

Upon entering a guard approached us and told us that we should first register for the guided tour. Since we were all above 13 years yet still young enough not to reach the Senior Citizen age our Registration Fee would be 40 Pesos/persons. Then we waited for about 15 minutes for the guided tour at 1:30 PM.

Environmental Enforcement Museum in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines

October 14, 2013 by Josiah 5 Comments

"Christmas Tree" made of illegal confiscated chainsaws. Environmental Enforcement Museum Puerto Princesa, Palawan Philippines

A photo posted by Lakas ng Trip (@lakasngtrip) on Sep 7, 2014 at 9:35pm PDT

I was meeting with people that would be teaching me hydroponics when they said to meet them around Bancao-Bancao. They told me the directions and said that I’ll be passing by a place where there are boats. First thing came to my mind was “What are the boats doing there?!?!? There’s no water surrounding that area?” When we passed by that area they pointed to the big blue boat and a “Christmas tree” made of Chainsaws. When I saw the word Museum I knew that I had to go back.

Environmental Enforcement Museum from the road

So the next day, after finishing some work I did go back. All I remember was that the Museum was located about 250 meters away from the Airport of Puerto Princesa City at Abrea-Manalo Street Intersection. Since I was in the town proper, I walked to the Capitol and rode a tricycle there and told the driver that I wanted to go to the Museum with a big boat and Christmas Tree chainsaw located near the airport. Unfortunately, most of the drivers did not know of the place. So I ended up telling the driver that I will point the way.

So after about 10 Pesos and 2-3 minutes on the tricycle, I was now in front of Environmental Enforcement Museum.

Environmental Enforcement Museum Entrance

Upon arrival I registered on their log book and paid the registration fee of 20 Pesos/person. This was where they told me that the museum had just started just last April 2013. And it was a project of Palawan NGO Network Inc. (PNNI), a network of Non-Government Organization (NGO) that actively helps protect and preserve the Natural Environment (Trees, plants, animals and wildlife) of Palawan. I was really glad when they told me that my registration fee would be used to support their work to protect the environment of Palawan.

Helping Hands on the Road Less Traveled

October 1, 2013 by Josiah 2 Comments

I was invited by friends for me to join them on August 5, 2013 to pick up their Rubber Seedlings that we would be getting from the Accredited Rubber Tree Nursery located in Bacungan, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. Since I was not doing anything that day I decided to join them for me to explore another side of Palawan not only in terms of travel but also in terms of farming.

Loading up the Rubber Seedlings to the truck

I woke up at around 5AM so that I could arrive in the terminal of Roxas, Palawan before 6AM, our scheduled time for meetup. But since there are not enough transportation that ferries people from El Nido to Puerto Princesa they had to wait in the middle of the National Highway for almost 3 hours until they decided that they have waited enough and will hire a tricycle to get them to the terminal of Roxas. So at 9:30 AM they have finally arrived with me waiting and almost having my second breakfast. 😀