The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (PPSRNP) will begin a test run of its new online system on May 1, but park management clarified that it is not a booking platform for tours.
In a notice posted on April 29, officials said the system, called the PPSRNP Online Appointment System (POAS), is designed to manage appointments made by accredited travel and tour agencies, not to directly confirm tour bookings.
“The POAS is not yet a booking platform for Underground River Tours,” the management said.
Under the setup, tourists must still coordinate with accredited agencies or tourism establishments in Sabang, which will use the system to schedule appointments before securing Visitor Entry Permits (VEPs).
Park officials stressed that the issuance of permits remains unchanged.
“VEPs will still be issued at the PPSNP PAMO Booking Office or Sabang Information Office,” the notice added.
The system will be used “exclusively” by legitimate agencies during the pilot phase, with all transactions handled through them. Do-it-yourself bookings are discouraged while the system is being tested.
The rollout marks a shift from previous walk-in and direct booking arrangements, following consultations with tourism stakeholders.
Officials said the move aims to improve coordination and manage tourist arrivals more efficiently at one of Palawan’s top destinations.
