Lagawan

The exposure of the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (PPSRNP) as a nominee and as the Philippines’ official bet in the world search for the New 7 Wonders of Nature has helped increase its visitors per day, according to travel and tours doing business her.

Gigi Lumauag, owner of Island Paradise Travel and Tours and One Rover’s Place lodging inn, said that since the PPSRNP figured in the N7W, the number of visitors who want to explore the stunning beauty of the cavernous “underground river” has increased from merely more than a hundred a few years ago to around 500 per day.

“The business bringing visitors to see the underground river is very busy these days. Summer has always been the best time of the year for them to come here and be one with the beauty of the park. We are happy that due to its nomination in the N7W, the number of domestic and foreign tourists who go to the park has increased and is giving us travel and tours the business opportunities we need,” Lumauag said.

Unlike in the past, Lumauag said getting permits to enter the subterranean river is no longer at the PPSRNP’s office at Sitio Sabang. “These days, you can’t just go to underground river without getting your permit here in the city because they now impose time,” she explained, adding that many who went to Sabang in Barangay Cabayugan were not able to enter the subterranean river because they can’t readily get permits.

At P1,500 per person, Lumauag said she’s sending at least 4-6 shuttle vans a day to underground river filled with domestic and foreign tourists who are eager to see Puerto Princesa’s pride.

“That’s just my travel and tour. What about the others, we have a lot who do the same business here,” she said.

The PPSRNP has also driven the establishment of more travel and tours businesses in the city, as well as restaurants catering to tourists. “We’ve gone past that stigma of where the abduction of tourists by the Abu Sayyaf happened before,” she stated.

As of May 14, the PPSRNP remains strong on the No. 1 spot in the live ranking of the N7W under Category E Nature Reserve and Nature Park, ahead of the Amazon and the Sundarbans Forest. Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn said that if the PPSRNP maintains its rank consistently until July, it will most likely be declared as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, which could further boost the city’s tourism industry. (PNA)