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Coron, Northern Palawan: The future of Philippine Tourism

By Limuel S. Celebria

“If you build it, they will come.”

Taking inspiration and great confidence in this memorable line from a Kevin Costner movie, Palawan Governor Joel Reyes is building his own “Field of Dreams” – a 40- hectare reclamation site on the shores of Coron town, one of 23 towns in Palawan.

Coron, Gov. Reyes’ hometown, is the main gateway to a group of island municipalities, known as the Calmianes group, in the northern section of Palawan which are famous for their unique tourism attractions. These include the Calauit Island Wildlife Preserve, the Culion Leper Colony with its century old church and fortresses established by the Jesuits; and the fleet of Japanese naval vessels sunk by American fighter planes in World War II.

The reclamation site, called the Coron Waterfront Development Project, is a joint undertaking of the Palawan provincial government and the Coron municipal government. When completed, it will feature at least 2 hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops, other tourist facilities and amenities, and a promenade park. The promenade is being rushed in time for completion and inauguration on August 28, Coron’s municipal fiesta.

“Palawan has over 1,700 islands and each of them an adventure,” said Reyes, quoting the province’s official slogan. In pursuing the reclamation project, Reyes said he considered it his “responsibility to create a growth area based on tourism destinations.”

He noted that Boracay was overwhelmed by investments and the infrastructure came long after the investors arrived. “We don’t want that to happen here,” Reyes said. “We want the infrastructure in place before the full thrust of tourism.”

“We want to make Coron synonymous with eco-tourism,” he added.

One of the first to buy in to Gov. Reyes’s vision is tourism entrepreneur Esteban Tajanlangit, Jr. who recently opened Gateway Hotel to become the very first locator in the reclamation site. “Here is the future of Philippine tourism,” said Tajanlangit, himself a visionary who began operating last year the 7107 Islands Cruise, the country’s first cruise ship. The 109-meter ship has 137 cabins that can accommodate up to 400 guests in five-star luxury, three restaurants, and a swimming pool. Since last year, it has organized several cruises allowing hundreds of local tourists to revisit Puerto Galera, Mindoro and Boracay in a new way and to discover new destinations in the Calamianes group of islands.

Among the pioneer investors in Boracay, Tajanlangit noted that though Boracay remains a great destination, it is just one island that has been turned into a party place. In Coron, he said, there are a number of islands like Malcapuya, Banana Island and Malaroyroy that can match if not surpass Boracay’s famous white sand beach. And there are other islands which can be developed for discovery tours, diving and snorkeling, and eco-tourism, he added.

Coron island itself offers astonishing rock formations, breathtaking limestone cliffs carved like an ornate wrought iron fence, and numerous coves and lakes with waters so clear you can see bottom. In Coron town is also the Makinit hotspring, a rare salt-water hotspring that is said to have therapeutic powers.

Because of his experience in tourism development and his enthusiasm for Coron, Tajanlangit has become a sort of guru for Coron Mayor Mario Reyes, Jr. Yes, the governor’s younger brother.

“We are thankful to Steve for making Coron one of the cruise ship’s destinations and for putting up his hotel here,” said Mayor Reyes. “More importantly, we learned a lot about Boracay’s mistakes.”

The younger Reyes is working hard to complement the Waterfront Development Project by seeking out locators. He said plans for another 80 room hotel and a four-storey commercial building are already in the works with a couple of investors. He also said the local water system, a problem in Coron, is already underway with the P100 million project being undertaken by a private investor.

Concerned about the impact of tourism on the people and the environment, Reyes, Jr. admits to being a bit careful. “Here, we talk before we implement,” he said. “We try to visualize what’s the future.”

Still, Municipal Councilor Jimmy Pe, also the president of the Palawan Councilors League, cannot help but enthuse about the future. Anticipating the influx of tourists, he said a larger international airport is already on the planning stage. It will run parallel to the current airstrip where several 80-seater turbo-prop jets land and take-off daily to and from Manila courtesy of PAL Express, Cebu Pacific, Zest Air, and Sea Air.

Also, councilor Pe said they are considering the development of another hotspring site complemented by the development of the Bintuan Mangrove Experience.

Gov. Reyes, who is into his third and final term, considers the reclamation project and its effect in changing the face of Coron a legacy to his town mates. “I hope my town mates will remember that once upon a time there was a Coronian who dared to dream and brought his dream to reality.”