2015 Annual Report

City Government of Puerto Princesa

PART III
Brief Description of the
Local Government Unit

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City Government of Puerto Princesa

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE CITY OF PUERTO PRINCESA

1. HISTORY AND CULTURE

1.1 History

Legend attributes the name “Puerto Princesa” to a princess-like maiden who is

said to roam around the place on certain nights of the year. On the other hand, practical
people attribute the name to the geographical advantages of the place as a seaport -
naturally protected the whole year round and endowed with a depth that can
accommodate any size of shipping - a royal haven for vessels or a virtual princess of
ports as thus indicated by Spanish Colonizers on the country’s map.

Historically the place was named after Princess Eulalia of Spain, born in 1864 to
Queen Isabel II and her consort, Dr. Francisco de Asis. When the princess suffered an
untimely death, the queen changed the name to Puerto dela Princesa. Eventually, the
name was reduced to Puerto Princesa as it is known today.

Spanish Colonizers 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 leveled a portion of the hill to make way for a
chapel. (That section is now occupied by the Catholic Cathedral, the Plaza Cuartel 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 became the center of Spanish Naval Operations in the
area because the few natives were peaceful and the Bay met all the Navy’s
requirements. Royal Decrees later provided incentives to settlers, such that by 1883
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.

In 1911, the New American Administration made Puerto Princesa the seat of the
Palawan Provincial Government with Major John Brown as Lieutenant Governor.

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

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.

1.2 Culture

Among the original inhabitants are the Cuyunons who possess rich legacy of
folklores and traditions. Indigenous groups include the Tagbanuas and the Batak, each
group with its distinct culture and system of beliefs.

Puerto Princesa is a melting pot of people with different cultures. This is

attributed to the influx of migrants from other Philippine provinces. The predominant local
tongue is Cuyuno. However other languages like English and Tagalog, and dialects such
as Bicolano, Visayan, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, and Ilocano are widely spoken.

2. GEO-PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

2.1 Location and Land Area

The City of Puerto Princesa is located 306 nautical miles southwest of Manila,
205 nautical miles from Panay and about 250 nautical miles from Zamboanga. It is
bounded on the north by the Municipality of San Vicente and Roxas and on the south by
Municipality of Aborlan. Strategically situated in the center portion of the island province
of Palawan and it is the center of education, health, trade and industry of the province. It
is connected with other cities and provinces by sea and land transport.

Puerto Princesa City has a total land area of 219,339.39. It has 66 barangays,
comprised of 35 urban and 31 rural barangays. The urban barangays cover 13,550.33
hectares or only 6.18% of the city’s total land area, while the rural barangays comprise
the major bulk of the city’s total land, which is 205,789.08 hectares or 93.82%.

A chain of mountains runs through the entire length of the city, dividing it into two
distinct areas-the East and West Coast. The eastern side, which faces the Sulu Sea, is
bordered by swamplands, following a series of flat plains to hilly terrain. The West Coast
has fewer plains with mountain ranges close to the West Philippine Sea, thus giving the
city a unique yet fragile ecology.

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A significant portion of the city retains its indigenous vegetation, rainforest,

mangroves, and coastal ecosystem, all of which support an array of wildlife. In terms of
species biodiversity and its wide range of ecosystems, Puerto Princesa is of national
significance. The famous Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (formerly
known as Saint Paul’s Subterranean River National Park) covering a protected area of
22,202 hectares is haven to endemic flora and fauna. The United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have designated the park as a World
Heritage Site on December 4, 1999. This Natural wonder features an 8.2-km navigable
underground river, reputed to be the world’s longest and winds through a spectacular
cave before emptying out into the West Philippine Sea.

2.2 Topography and Slope

Around 64% of the city’s total land area has rugged (18-36%) to steep slopes
(>36%) marking it highly vulnerable to soil erosion and even mudslides and landslides
when the areas with critical slopes become denuded. On the other hand, about 25% of
its land area is flat lands having slopes less than 8%, suitable for agriculture and urban
settlement and another 11% (8-18%) slope which can be develop for upland agriculture
and low-density housing. However, agriculture and settlement development within this
moderate slope range have to adopt soil conservation and slope stabilization measures
to prevent soil erosion and landslides.

2.3 Geology

In southern portion of the city particularly in the Irawan area, metamorphic rocks
of the Inagawan Formation can be found. The area is also partly composed of
sedimentary Iwahig Formation, alluvium of consolidated gravel, sand, pebbles, and silt.
Some ultramafic rocks of the Palawan Ophiolite Complex also characterize the area.

The northern part of the city comprises ultramafic rocks. In particular, the
Langogan area is characterized by metamorphic rocks consisting of quartz-feldspathic
and mica schists, phyllites, slate, and quartzites. The ultramafic rocks consist of
unaltered serpentenizedpridotite, dunite, and pyrexomite.

The Babuyan area is made up of Irahuam Metavolcanics that resemble the

quartz-hematite schist in appearance and are also friable and weather into dark reddish
gray platy fragments, which are usually scattered near outcrop of river beds. St. Paul
limestone outcrops as small patches are found in the south and Midwestern part of the
catchment. It comprises a very thick, massive, marbleized limestone with a very well-
developed karst.

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2.4 Climate

Two types of climate patterns that are distinctive for the east and the west coasts
occur in Puerto Princesa. The east coast has short dry season and more months of
heavy rainfall. The area is dry from January to April and rainy throughout the rest of the
year. September is registered as the wettest month.

The west coast has equal lengths of dry and rainy seasons. Dry season begins in
November and lasts until April while the rainy months start in May and end in October.
The rainiest month in the west coast is September just like in the east coast. February is
the driest month in the area. The barangays falling under this climate pattern are New
Panggangan, Marufinas, Cabayugan, Tagabinet, Buenavista, Bahile, Macarascas,
Simpocan, Bagong Bayan, and Napsan.

2.5 Temperature and Humidity

The City has a uniformly high temperature. There is no marked difference in

temperature between areas falling under the first and second types of climate. Generally
the warmest months are March, April and May; the coolest are November, December,
January, and February. The city has more or less uniform humidity as well as high
relative humidity ranging from 70 percent to 86 percent with an annual mean of 84
percent.

Fluctuations in relative humidity affect the rate of evaporation in such a way that
if other factors like moisture content of the soil and its temperature and the temperature
of the air were momentarily held constant, a lower relative humidity tends to enhance
vaporization, while in an extreme case, atmosphere approaches 100 percent humidity,
evaporation may cease and condensation may be induced.

2.6 Water Resources

The City has a total of 115,610 hectares of watershed upper catchment areas of
which five watersheds have major river basins and six have medium-sized river basins.
The five river basins with the largest area include Babuyan River (25% of the total
catchment area) Montible River (20%), Langogan River (14%), Inagawan River (12%)
and Bacungan River (10%). Irawan watershed, which is the main source of water supply
in the City, has a small catchment area comprising only 3% of the total catchment area.

Development of groundwater in the City proper to supply part of its water

requirements has limited potential because of low yield and partly due to salt-water
intrusion into the fresh water aquifers. However, groundwater abstraction has a better
potential in Sta. Monica, Irawan and Iwahig. The groundwater quality of the City is
relatively poor with a pH higher than 7.2, which is the benchmark for good quality
groundwater. The groundwater also has high content level of calcium and magnesium
making it hard and produces crust deposits when used in boilers.

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2.7 Soil Types

Lowland soils found in the City are mostly alluvial in formation and are usually
fertile soils; hence they comprise prime agricultural lands. This type of soil formation is
suitable for irrigation and has potential for good yields of rice. Upland soils are usually
formed in place from underlying bedrocks. They are usually thin compared to alluvial
deposits and are also prone to erosion in the absence of vegetation cover. There are
nine soil types found distributed in City: Bolinao Clay, Tagburos Clay, Tapul Clay Loam,
Guimbalaon Clay, Bay Clay Loam, Babuyan Silt Clay Loam, Babuyan Clay, Malaglag
Clay, and Hydrosol.

2.8 Puerto Princesa as a Carbon-Neutral City

Consistent with internationally recognized guidelines from the Intergovernmental

Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory was conducted in
June 2011 by an independent third party. The result of the inventory revealed that
Puerto Princesa City is not carbon-neutral but, in fact, significantly carbon negative.
Hence, the Manila Observatory certified that Puerto Princesa City is indeed carbon-
neutral.

3. SOCIO-ECONOMIC FEATURES

3.1 Population Size, Growth and Distribution

According to the latest national census (2010), Puerto Princesa City has a
population of 222,673. This shows an increase of 5.78% over the previous (2007)
census figure. The city accounts for about 22.39% of the provincial population. The 2015
projected population is 245,849.

The urban population in 2010 accounts for 76% of the City's total and yet the
urban occupies only 6.18% of the total land area of Puerto Princesa.

The gross density of the urban population is 18 times that of the rural in 2007 and
has decreased to 17 times in 2010. In terms of net density (ratio of population to total
arable or habitable land) the 2007 net urban density is 22 times that of the rural area and
has reduced to 21 times in 2010.

In 2010, the young dependents (0 to 14 years) comprised 33.8 percent of the

household population while the old dependents (65 years and over) posted a share of
3.1 percent. The working-age population (15 to 64 years) accounted for the remaining
63.1 percent.

The overall dependency ratio was 58, which indicates that for every 100 working-
age population, there were about 58 dependents (53 young dependents and five old
dependents). This ratio is lower than the dependency ratio in 2007, which was recorded

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at 62 dependents per 100 working-age population (57 young dependents and 5 old
dependents).

3.2 Basic Education

In 2012 CBMS data, at the elementary grade level, 13.70% of children 6-12 are
not in school and the proportion of rural children who are out of school (15.63%) is
slightly higher than that among children in the urban area (15.51%). What explains this
difference is the physical inaccessibility of the schools from very remote rural
settlements, including those of indigenous communities. The other major reason for non-
attendance by elementary school age children is poverty and this is equally true in both
urban and rural areas. Due to poverty, many parents cannot afford to pay for the
incidental cost of their children's schooling, no matter whether school attendance is
supposed to be free of charge.

At the secondary level, public schools are supposed to be free. However, an

average of 36.42% of 13-16 year-old youth are out of school. Again, the percentage in
the rural barangays (38.92%) is higher than in the urban area (35.49%). The principal
reason for non-participation is the prevailing low average household incomes which drive
parents to force their children to work to augment their total income. Rural youth take to
farming, fishing and other natural resource extraction activities due to the ease of entry
into these occupations. For their part, urban OSYs find work as artisanal fisherfolk in the
coastal barangays or else join the informal economy as hawkers, tricycle drivers, market
vendors and the like.

Related to basic education is the preparation of pre-school children for entry to

Grade 1. The package of services for the 3-5 year olds is the Early Childhood Care and
Development (ECCD) program. This social development program is delivered through
the network of Day care Centers. In Puerto Princesa, 72% of pre-school children have
access to early childhood care and development services.

3.3 Health, Nutrition and Sanitation

The general state of health or "unhealth" of the population is determined by the

proportion of malnourished or underweight children below the age of 6 years. The critical
importance of this age group is that undernourished children at this age acquire a
handicap they may not be able to overcome for the rest of their lives.

Incidence of illness and death due to illness is another measure of the degree of
"unhealth" of the population. Among other things, this implies access to appropriate and
adequate health care and facilities. The latest data indicate that coronary artery disease
and hypertensive vascular disease account for the most deaths in the City. Leading
causes in young child mortality were prematurity, sepsis, pneumonia, respiratory distress
syndrome and congenital heart disease.

The CBMS survey conducted in 2012 revealed that some 10% of all households
have no access to sanitary toilets. The urban clusters have a lower rate of 8.35% and

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the rural clusters have a combined rate of 15.43%. The principal cause of this situation is
the lack of running water in the rural area. In the informal settlements of the urban area,
lack of secure tenure to their home lots deters households to put up permanent fixtures
in their occupied sites. The net effect of this is the generally unsanitary condition of
certain sections of the city. There is also the risk of contamination of open water bodies
with improperly handled fecal wastes.

3.4 Housing and Basic Utilities

CBMS Data in 2012 indicate that almost 10% of all households in Puerto
Princesa do not have their own housing. The proportion of squatters in the urban area
(11%) is almost twice that in the rural area (5.98%). Squatters are concentrated in the
coastal barangays of the urban clusters due to the relative ease of access to the public
domain. Moreover, the open-access municipal waters offer an opportunity of easy entry
to artisanal fishing as basic occupation.

The City has a housing backlog of 3,737 units as of 2012. There is no data on
homeless households or individuals in the City, but is it assumed to be nil since there are
no manifestations of literally homeless people in the City. The backlog therefore is
composed of displaced with a total of 3,260 households and the doubled-up units or
sharers numbering some 477 households.

In 2012, 83.92% or 39,819 of the total number of households surveyed have

access to electricity. Of which, 38,461 (80.84%) of the households were connected to
the Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO) service lines while 3.08% sourced their
power supply from generator sets, solar panels and battery cells. The rest were either
using kerosene or oil lamps.

In terms of access to safe water, Puerto Princesa as a whole can be deemed to

be nearly adequately served with only 3.85% of households unreached by this type of
service. However, across smaller areas glaring disparity occur. Almost 10% of rural
households have no access to this type of service. The main reason for this is the sheer
distance of some rural settlements from potential water sources and hence, the high
investment cost of developing a viable water source. The health consequence of
drinking untreated water is the high exposure to water-borne diseases.

3.5 Local Economy and Employment

The city’s economy largely depends on agriculture, fisheries, trade and

commerce and tourism. Guided by its vision and in collaboration with the different
sectors of society, the City Government of Puerto Princesa is committed to pursue
inclusive sustainable development with agriculture and tourism as the primary engines of
economic growth and development.

In 2012, the city had a total labor force of 73,191 (CBMS survey). Of this figure,
68,137 are employed posting an employment rate of 93.1 percent that is equal to that of

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the national figure (Source: Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), National Statistical
Coordination Board (NSCB), April 2012).

In terms of total employment share among the three economic sectors, trade and
services had a share of 47,016 persons employed (67%) out of 68,137 employed
individuals in the city; agriculture, fisheries, and forestry had a combined employment
share of 11,439 individuals (17%), while quarrying, manufacturing, construction, and
utilities had a combined share of 10,857 employed (16%).

This indicates the important role of the city as the province’s center of trade and
commerce, communication, education, and governance.

Figure 1
Sectoral Employment Share
Puerto Princesa City, 2012

17%

Primary
16%
Secondary

67% Tertiary

Source: CBMS Census, 2012

3.6 Tourism

Puerto Princesa City strives to keep the title of being dubbed as a “premier tourist
destination”. Being the locale of the New Seven Wonders of Nature, Puerto Princesa has
become a natural destination for eco-tourists, nature lovers, vacationists, and
researchers. Figure 2 shows the increasing trend of tourist arrivals in the city for the past
six (6) years (2009-2014). It steadily increased from 268,942 to 692,982 or an average
annual growth rate of 21 percent. Around 84 percent of tourists are domestic and the
rest originate from other countries like the United States of America, Canada, Taiwan,
Australia, Japan, Germany, Korea, and New Zealand. For an average three- night stay
of tourist, spending an average of P4,000.00/person/day, tourist receipts is computed at
around Php6.2B.

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Figure 2
Breakdown of Domestic and Foreign Tourists
Puerto Princesa City, 2011-2015

549,232 574,147
600,000 518,965 525,461
500,000 416,299
400,000
Domestic
300,000 244,814
167,521 191,040 Foreign
200,000 135,068
83,845
100,000
0
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

4. PUERTO PRINCESA TODAY

Puerto Princesa City is one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature. It has become a
natural destination for eco-tourists, nature lovers, vacationists and researchers. It abounds
in diverse resources and natural scenic spots, which attract both local and international
tourists.

The increase tourist traffic, both local and foreign is contributing no doubt to
increased volume of business for the local economy. Consistent with its vision, Puerto
Princesa has chosen to specialize in eco-tourism because this type of tourism is the most
environment-friendly and sustainable. Among other benefits, eco-tourism offers pleasurable
experiences with minimal tourist impact upon the natural environment. Moreover, eco-
tourism especially the community-based sustainable tourism (CBST), accords mutual
benefits to both the tourist and the host communities.

5. PEACE AND ORDER CONDITION (As per report of PUERTO PRINCESA CITY POLICE
OFFICE)

Puerto Princesa City has a 2015 projected total population of 224,646, with a land
area of 253,982 hectares. It consists of 66 barangays and with a road network of 151
kilometers from North to South.

Puerto Princesa City Police Office has a total of three hundred eighty-seven (387)
police personnel, twenty-three (23) are Police Commissioned Officers (PCOs) while the
remaining three hundred sixty-four (364) are Police Non-Commissioned Officers. The
existing police to population ratio is 1:632. PPCPO exercises supervision over two police
stations. Mendoza Police Station is located at Bgy. Model which presently covers a total of

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40 barangays, while Irawan Police Station is situated at Barangay Irawan which covers a
total of 26 barangays.

In 2015, there were 895 recorded crimes of which 293 cleared and 236 solved.
Crime solved efficiency was 25.95%

Below is the recorded data of Criminal Investigation & Detection Management

Branch (CIDMB) for the month of January to November 2015.

Month Crime Crime Crime Crime Crime

Solved Cleared Cleared Solved Solved
Efficiency Efficiency
% %
January 105 33 31.43 29 27.62
February 114 33 30.02 27 29.12
March 86 33 38.37 26 30.23
April 71 25 35.21 23 32.39
May 63 17 26.98 16 25.40
June 84 17 20.24 10 11.90
July 107 30 28.04 22 20.56
August 80 23 28.75 18 22.50
September 75 27 36.00 24 32.00
October 71 30 42.25 22 30.99
November 39 25 64.10 19 48.72
December
TOTAL 895 293 31.78 236 25.95

THE CITY’S VISION AND DEVELOPMENT GOALS

1. The City’s Vision

Puerto Princesa: “A most livable city demonstrating a proper balance between

development and environment with inclusive economic growth
inhabited by self-reliant, empowered and compassionate
citizenry.”

2. Desired Regional Roles of Puerto Princesa City

Considerations of what the city can best contribute to the development of the
province and the wider region are not only a valid concern but also an imperative. It fulfills
one of the main objectives of devolution according to the Local Government Code (Sec. 2,
a): to enable LGUs “to become effective partners in national development.”
The desired regional roles of Puerto Princesa are as follows:

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 As an eco-tourism destination.
 As exemplar of healthful recreation.
 As a center for applied research in ecology, ecosystems, marine and terrestrial flora and
fauna; in indigenous knowledge systems, practices and folkways; and in environmental
governance initiatives.

3. Desired Qualities as Human Settlement

The other half of what Puerto Princesa can do as a model in sustainable

development is to secure for its own inhabitants the qualities of a desirable human habitat.
Known as the inward-looking component of the vision, it is concerned with describing the
future scenario in terms of desired qualities of the various sectors comprising the totality of
local development. Thus, each of the five development sectors generated a set of
descriptors or desired qualities that best describe what they want their sector to be like in
the future. By putting together the descriptors for the social, economic, environment,
infrastructure and multi-institutional sectors, a composite picture of Puerto Princesa as a
desirable human settlement is derived.

To further facilitate monitoring and evaluation to determine progress toward

attainment of the vision each descriptor is translated into measurable and observable
indicators of success.

3.1 Desired qualities of the city’s inhabitants

The City’s inhabitants are looked upon as disciplined and responsible stewards
of the City’s ecosystem and resources. For the people to be disciplined they must be
God-fearing; to be responsible they have to be empowered; and to be able to do all
these they must be in good health.

These more specific traits envisioned for the city residents are said to have been
attained if the following indicators are observed to obtain:

a. God-fearing
 Zero unsolved crimes
 Zero number of neglected children
 Zero number of children in conflict with the law (CICL)
 Zero number of dysfunctional families
 100% compliance with the Anti-Illegal Drug Law
 100% compliance with various laws protecting children, women, and the family
 100% compliance to “No Smoking in Public Places”
 100% implementation of curfew hours to minors
 Zero Illegal Gambling
 No tax delinquents, evaders and cheats
 Full participation in spiritual and religious activities

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b. Empowered
 All children 6-12 years old are in elementary school
 All 13-16 years old are in secondary school
 100% Participation in Community Organizations/Activities
 100% Electoral Participation Rate
 100% Graduation Rate in Elementary and Secondary Levels
 All persons 10 years old and above able to read and write simple message in any
language or dialect
 All 3-5 years old children have access to ECCD
 100% of Live births registered
 100% Implementation of Accessibility Law
 100% Implementation IPRA Law
 Access to Information Technology (IT)
 Complete registration of senior citizens and full availment of their privileges
 All inhabitants in the labor force (15 years old and over) have equal access to
manpower development training
 Men and women are equal partners in development
 All households have decent housing
 All differently-abled persons avail of privileges and services due them.

c. Healthy

 All lactating mothers practice exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months
 All children are fully immunized against TB, DPT, Polio, Hepa B and measles
 All are well nourished particularly children and mothers.
 All pregnant women get at least four pre-natal check-ups
 All pregnant mothers are fully immunized against tetanus
 All pregnant women who are at risk get emergency obstetric care
 All deliveries are handled by skilled personnel and performed with proper health
facilities
 All pregnancies are spaced at least three years apart
 All families have access to and use only iodized salt, fortified rice and other
fortified foods
 All households in the city have access to safe drinking water
 Every household in the city has sanitary toilet
 Reduced prevalence of dental carries
 Improved environmental sanitation in urban poor communities where
disadvantaged children are found
 All sick persons have access to medical services/facilities
 100% of population eats at least 3 full meals a day.
 No mentally ill cases in the City.
 All residents practice health lifestyle
 City is STD/HIV/AIDS free

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4. Desired character of the local economy

The City so desires a local economy that is diversified, vibrant and environment-
friendly characterized by the following indicators:

a. Diversified

 100% of potentially irrigable land irrigated and developed

 Optimum utilization of fishing grounds by local fishers
 Optimum utilization of agricultural land
 Non-timber forest product related industries multiplying
 Rural industries proliferate
 Availability of non-farm technical jobs
 Exportable surplus in livestock and poultry production
 Excellent power and energy generation support
 Strong Construction Industry
 Competitive manufacturing firms
 Potential tourism attractions developed
 Tourist attractions diversified and fully utilized

b. Vibrant

 No business closure
 Prevailing Industrial Peace
 Zero Unemployment
 Income per capita above the national poverty threshold
 Utilities and infrastructure support facilities in place
 Specific areas in CBD regulated and provided for informal sector
 Banks and other financial institutions available
 Distinct PPC products competing in global market
 Investment Code on fiscal incentives implemented
 Tourist arrivals and tourism receipts increased
 Tourist attractions and events promoted and marketed
 Tourism establishments flourished offering high standards of facilities and services to
tourists

c. Environment-friendly

 No metallic (large scale) mining industry

 No hazardous and pollutive industries (ECC and other standards compliant)
 Solid and Liquid Waste Management Facilities in place
 All establishments practicing 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)
 Emissions and effluents from transport vehicles and industries within DENR
standards
 Sustainable ecotourism achieved
 Zero noise pollution

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5. Desired qualities of the environment

The desired qualities of a city in a forest: clean, safe and restored. The success
indicators for each descriptor are listed below.

a. Clean

 Air quality within DENR standards (TSP not exceeding 80µg/Ncm; PM10 not
exceeding 54 µg/Ncm).
 Water quality within DENR standards.
 No occupancy on salvage zones/easement of rivers and seas.
 All residents (households, firms and institutions) segregate their solid waste at
source accordingly and dispose it ecologically.
 Hazardous waste properly disposed of.
 Sewage and effluent monitoring system in place.

b. Safe

 Safe/potable drinking water (continuous protection and enrichment of watersheds).

 All farmers/producers adopted organic farming practices.
 Rabies/avian flu-free.
 No violators on noise pollution regulation (not exceeding 60 decibels at residential).
 All liquid wastes from establishments treated before discharging.
 All rivers and coastal waters are safe for aquatic life forms and recreational activities.
 All Environmental laws and ordinances strictly enforced.
 Zero burning of plastics.

c. Restored

 The terrestrial forest covering 159,203 hectares and mangroves and other coastal
vegetation growing in 5,737 hectares restored and enriched and protected.
 All Ancestral Domains, Protected Areas and Watersheds delineated and boundaries
marked.
 All river embankments rehabilitated and maintained.
 Zero erosion in coastal zones.
 No trace of salt water intrusion.
 Policy on ground water extraction adopted and implemented.
 Distributed caves restored and protected.
 All wildlife habitats restored and protected.

6. Desired quality of the built environment

The descriptors of a desirable cityscape: planned, balanced and attractive and

generated measurable indicators of success:

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City Government of Puerto Princesa

a. Planned

 100% infrastructure facilities for agriculture developed

 100% rural and urban barangays energized
 100% city thoroughfares developed
 Well-energized drainage system in place
 City road networks well-articulated
 100% flood free city
 Telecommunication facilities fully established/are in place
 Water utilities fully upgraded to Level III
 Institutions for elderly and disadvantaged sector fully established and operational
 Public service institutions put in-place
 Airport and seaport facilities and services of international standard
 Inter-modal transport linkages established
 Rainwater harvesting facilities in place
 Land transport terminal and services of national standard
 Liquid waste management facilities in operation
 Educational facilities conformed with national standards
 Protective services facilities fully established
 Health support facilities adequate

b. Attractive

 Boulevards, promenades and stretches of tree-lined and coastal highways

interspersed with parks fully developed
 100% environment-friendly Solid and Liquid Waste Management Systems
established
 Slum-free city
 Hierarchy of public parks established

7. Desired quality of local governance

The desired qualities of local leadership and governance: transparent, participative

and self-reliant.

To determine the level of attainment of these ideals, appropriate success indicators

were likewise formulated as shown below.

a. Transparent

 100% enforcement of Anti-Red Tape Act and Anti-Fixer Law in all government
transactions
 Quarterly posting of mandatory periodic reports on collections and disbursements
including grants of the City in conspicuous and public area/places
 100% local residents/bidders participation in government procurement process

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City Government of Puerto Princesa

b. Participative

 100% of the fully organized and accredited NGOs/POs actively participating in the
operations of the special bodies of the City
 100% participation of accredited and non-accredited NGOs/POs in all government
programs/projects
 100% execution of LDC functions as mandated in Sec. 109 of the Code being
exercised by the Council
 100% functional Executive Committee created according to Sec. 111 of the Local
Government Code
 100% functional Sectoral Committees mandated under Sec. 112 of LGC

d. Self-reliant

 100% SRI requirement met

 100% implementation of investment incentives and development related ordinances
 100% self-sustaining economic enterprises
 Debt- free
 100% implementation of revenue assessment and collection schemes enumerated in
the Local Government Code
 Balanced budget in each fiscal year of operation

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