Puerto Princesa, officially the City of Puerto Princesa (Cuyonon: Siyudad i'ang Puerto Princesa; ), is a highly urbanized city in the Mimaropa region of the Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people.
It is a city located in the western Philippine province of Palawan and is the westernmost city in the Philippines. Though the seat of government and capital of the province, the city itself is one of 38 independent cities within the Philippines not controlled by the province in which it is geographically located and is therefore an independent area located within Palawan for its geographical and statistical purposes by the Philippine Statistics Authority. It is the largest city in the province of Palawan and the Mimaropa region.
It is the least densely populated city in the Philippines with . In terms of land area, the city is the second largest geographically after Davao City with an area of . Puerto Princesa is the location of the Philippines' Western Command headquarters.Sea Tensions Deepen With China's Rise June 7, 2012
Today, Puerto Princesa is a tourist city with beach resorts and seafood restaurants.
Etymology The name Puerto Princesa has several possible origins. It is said to have been attributed by locals to a princess-like maiden who roams the place on certain nights of the year, while other accounts attribute its geographical advantage as a seaport which is a naturally protected area due to its surrounding mountains, and is characterized by a depth able to accommodate any size of shipping vessel.
There are two official versions about the actual origin of the name. The first is that place was originally named Port of the Princess (Spanish: Puerto de la Princesa) after Infanta Eulalia, one of the princesses born to Isabella II of Spain and her consort, Francis, Duke of Cádiz. Another version, however, states that the place was originally named Port Asuncion (Spanish: Puerto de Asunción), allegedly named after another daughter of Isabella II and the Duke of Cadiz. In this version, the princess suffered an untimely death, which prompted the Queen to change the name to Puerto de la Princesa, and was eventually shortened to Puerto Princesa. However, this second version is likely to be incorrect, as Isabella and Francis did not have a daughter named Asunción.
History Spanish era
Spanish colonists founded the settlement on 4 March 1872 as Puerto de la Princesa by Ezequiel Moreno, 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. In the same year, the community of Renampacan (now Inagawan) was founded.
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.
American era
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.
World War II During the Pacific campaign of World War II and the Japanese occupation, the village was largely abandoned. On 1 January 1942, Japanese planes began bombing Puerto Princesa and shot several bullets. On 18 May of the same year, Japanese troops landed and occupied Puerto Princesa City. After the establishment of the Second Philippine Republic on 14 October 1943, President Jose P. Laurel appointed Major Patricio Fernandez as the Provincial Governor of Palawan, and Severino Vicente as the mayor of Puerto Princesa. For the most part, it was mostly Puerto Princesa and Aborlan that were within the Japanese-occupied zone, while the rest were under heavy guerrilla influence or full guerrilla control. On 7 January 1944, Ex-Governor and guerrilla commander Dr. Higinio Mendoza as well as 15 other patriots were brutally massacred by Japanese forces. In the same year on 20 October, American planes bombed the town, causing widespread destruction. The Filipino Constabulary barracks was the scene of the Palawan Massacre on 14 December, just before liberation with the allied Invasion of Palawan.
On 28 February 1945, US forces landed in Puerto Princesa and on 4 March, the Commonwealth Government was restored in Palawan.
Post-World War II In 1951, the barrios of Tinitian, Caramay, Rizal, Del Pilar, Malcampo, Tumarbong, Taradungan, Ilian, and Capayas were separated to form the town of Roxas.
In 1955, the sitios of Materingen, Tandayag, Nasedoc, and Panlawagan were separated from the barrio of Maroyogon and elevated into a barrio.
In 1956, the sitios of Calagbenguen, Tarabanan, Bendoyan, Talabigan, Tagbuan, and Langogan were constituted into the barrio of Concepcion.
In 1957, the barrio of Tapul was renamed to Salvacion.
On 21 June 1969, San Vicente was created from Puerto Princesa and Taytay, with the barrios of Caruray and the current poblacion of the town being separated from Puerto Princesa while the barrios of New Agutaya and Binga were separated from Taytay.
Cityhood
The town was converted into a city on 1 January 1970, under Republic Act 5906 as amended by P.D. 437, through the effort of then Congressman Ramon Mitra, Jr. Feliberto R. Oliveros, Jr., who then became the first City Mayor. In 1987, the port of Puerto Princesa was put under the administration of the Philippine Ports Authority, expanding the city's importance nationally and advancing its infrastructure.
Highly urbanized city On March 26, 2007, through Proclamation No. 1264, the city of Puerto Princesa was converted into a highly urbanized city. A plebiscite was held on 21 July 2007, where majority of residents voted in its favor. In 2011, the President launched a nationwide campaign for the inclusion of Puerto Princesa's underground river into the New Seven Wonders of Nature. This campaign came into fruition when the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, the city's top heritage site, was recognized internationally as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature in 2012.
Contemporary 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.
On the morning of 24 January 2011, broadcast journalist and former politician Gerry Ortega was at an "ukay-ukay" (used clothing) thrift store in Puerto Princesa when he was murdered by a gunman.Affidavit of Patria Gloria A. Innocencio-Ortega, sworn before OIC Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Theodore M. Villanueva on February 14, 2011. https://www.scribd.com/doc/54448686/Supplemental-Affidavit-Complaint-Patria-Gloria-Ortega After a brief chase, police apprehended the alleged shooter, Marlon Recamata, who confessed to the crime at the Puerto Princesa Police Office and implicated three other persons. In 2015, former Palawan governor Mario Joel Reyes was arrested in Thailand after being charged by the city court in connection with the crime. Various courts went back and forth in ordering the arrest or non-arrest of Reyes, with him being released from jail in 2018 upon orders of the Court of Appeals but ultimately ordered rearrested in 2023, with him surrendering to the National Bureau of Investigation in Metro Manila in September 2024.
Geography
Puerto Princesa is located in the mid-section of Palawan Island. It is bound to the east by the Sulu Sea, to the west by the South China Sea, to the north by the municipalities of San Vicente and Roxas, and to the south by the municipality of Aborlan. It is approximately from the Philippine capital of Manila, from Panay and from Zamboanga City on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.
Barangays 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.Municipality/City: PUERTO PRINCESA CITY (Capital) , National Statistical Coordination Board.
Babuyan (Rural) 2,472 Bacungan (Rural) 4,555 Bagong Bayan (Rural) 827 Bagong Pag-Asa (Urban) 750 Bagong Sikat (Urban) 7,497 Bagong Silang (Urban) 5,296 Bahile (Rural) 2,339 Bancao-bancao (Urban) 13,612 Barangay ng mga Mangingisda (Rural) 5,350 Binduyan (Rural) 1,293 Buenavista (Rural) 1,212 Cabayugan (Rural) 3,368 Concepcion (Rural) 1,418 Inagawan (Rural) 1,623 Inagawan Sub-Colony (Rural) 4,052 Irawan (Urban) 6,142 Iwahig (Rural) 4,527 Kalipay (Urban) 725 Kamuning (Rural) 1,978 Langogan (Rural) 2,067 Liwanag (Urban) 1,202 Lucbuan (Rural) 1,401 Luzviminda (Rural) 3,473 Mabuhay (Urban) 206 Macarascas (Rural) 1,609 Magkakaibigan (Urban) 375 Maligaya (Urban) 311 Manalo (Rural) 2,143 Mandaragat (Urban) 9,210 Manggahan (Urban) 644 Maningning (Urban) 791 Maoyon (Rural) 1,281 Marufinas (Rural) 609 Maruyogon (Rural) 1,450 Masigla (Urban) 609 Masikap (Urban) 958 Masipag (Urban) 1,971 Matahimik (Urban) 1,228 Matiyaga (Urban) 413 Maunlad (Urban) 3,865 Milagrosa (Urban) 3,100 Model (Urban) 327 Montible (Rural) 362 Napsan (Rural) 1,797 New Panggangan (Rural) 629 Pagkakaisa (Urban) 1,131 Princesa (Urban) 1,015 Salvacion (Rural) 1,197 San Jose (Urban) 17,521 San Manuel (Urban) 12,510 San Miguel (Urban) 19,649 San Pedro (Urban) 22,089 San Rafael (Rural) 1,836 Santa Cruz (Rural) 840 Santa Lourdes (Urban) 5,171 Santa Lucia (Rural) 147 Santa Monica (Urban) 20,094 San Isidro (Urban) 312 Sicsican (Urban) 15,861 Simpocan (Rural) 1,272 Tagabinet (Rural) 1,170 Tagburos (Urban) 7,045 Tagumpay (Urban) 465 Tanabag (Rural) 700 Tanglaw (Urban) 1,739 Tiniguiban (Urban) 12,285
Climate Puerto Princesa features a tropical wet and dry climate (Köppen climate classification Aw). It is usually wet from May to December, with very little rain from January to April. Average temperature is while the annual average rainfall is per year. It is warm and humid all year round. On 23 April 2025 the town reached for the first time in history.
Demographics
In the 2024 census, the population of Puerto Princesa was 316,384 people, with a density of .
Waves of migrants from other Philippine provinces, and even other countries, have turned Puerto Princesa into a melting pot of various cultures. Among the original inhabitants are the Cuyonons who have a rich legacy of folklore and traditions. Indigenous groups include the Tagbanwas, Palawanos, Molbogs and Bataks, each group with its distinct culture and system of beliefs.
Total inhabitants number 307,079 (as of 2020), of which three-quarter of the population resides in the city proper, an urban settlement on the shores of Puerto Princesa Bay. Although the predominant language is Tagalog, Cuyonon is widely spoken and used throughout the whole city, as well as Hiligaynon, other Visayan languages, and English.
Economy