The city government will hold a daylong business forum in Makati in July to look for national and foreign investors who will be willing to venture into tourism, real estate, and agro-fishery infrastructure projects.
Lorraine Banzuelo, head of the city’s Local Economic and Investment Promotions Office (LEIPO), said this forum will be in collaboration with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce (PCCC), Board of Investments (BOI), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and United States Agency for International Development-Strengthening Urban Resilience for Growth with Equity (USAID-SURGE).
“Ang mga participants na ating mga i-invite-in ay ang lahat nang mga malalaking business groups in Metro Manila. It will be a big event, naka-feature lang talaga dito ang Puerto Princesa at saka ito na ‘yong time talaga na ma-identify na natin kung sino talaga ang mga interested na investors. Dito siguro mas maraming mga foreign investors na mag-a-attend,” said Banzuelo.
Banzuelo said the investment opportunities they will present will revolve mainly on real estate and tourism, agro-fishery infrastructure, and raw land for sale or lease.
Banzuelo said the top five investment opportunities in Puerto Princesa they will push through in this forum are: the San Carlos-Bacungan River Cruise; Puerto Princesa City Integrated Fish Port Complex; the 1,072-hectare Puerto Princesa City Environmental Estate in Barangay Sta. Lucia; the 45-hectare titled lots of the city government in Barangays Sta. Lucia, Tagburos, Bahile, and Bacungan which are all intended for housing projects, and the commercial area in the yet-to-rise cruise ship port in Quito district.
“Part ng cruise ship port ay gagawa din diyan ng mga restaurants, maganda siyang area,” Banzuelo said.
In their records, the San Carlos – Bacungan River Cruise, a three-kilometer river sail rich in flora and fauna, is indeed a wonderful investment and tourism opportunity.
The proposed Puerto Princesa City Integrated Fish Port Complex in Mandaragat, on the other hand, is still looking for partners engaged in construction development for the construction of its facilities such as fish markets, commercial shops, administration building, fish container storage facilities, and other necessities.
Banzuelo said the feasibility study for thie fish port was conducted by a private organization in 2018.
“Puerto Princesa City, Palawan is one of the fertile fishing grounds in the country that produces biggest fish hauls for decades now with markets reaching as far as Metro Manila, Cebu, Iloilo and Quezon. While Puerto Princesa and Palawan supply the biggest marine resources, commercial fishing vessels that fish in its waters ship their catches elsewhere with no direct benefit to the city and the province,” the report indicated.
In the same report provided by LEIPO, this 1,072-hectare Puerto Princesa City Environmental Estate located in Sta. Lucia alongside the Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) and Honda Bay, brags a 13-kilometer coastline suited for beach and resort development.
Aside from its long coastline, inside the estate can be found a 600-hectare mangrove forest and the pristine Iwahig River.
Banzuelo said they are expecting around 150 participants to attend the forum, mostly investors.
He noted there will be a business-matching activity right after the main event.
Meanwhile, Banzuelo said they are trying to coordinate and work hand-in-hand with concerned agencies for the city’s basic utilities such as the Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO), Puerto Princesa City Water District (PPCWD), and local internet providers in order to resolve problems that will have direct effects on investment opportunities the city government is trying to promote.
“Actually nakaka-meeting na natin ‘yan sila nagtutulungan naman, kailangan lang talaga ng magandang coordination with these people sa mga agencies na ito,” she said.
