Property Report visited San Vicente, Palawan—a destination quietly shaping a new story for Philippine tourism. It was a short stay, but one that left a lasting impact. On our last morning, I walked toward Long Beach and was moved by its pristine beauty—something that made me feel part of something far greater and more important.
Walking back to the resort, I was joined by one of the staff who spoke with quiet pride about his hometown and how he hopes more people will discover San Vicente. That same pride was evident everywhere—in how locals talk about what they’re building together: progress that welcomes visitors while keeping San Vicente grounded in what makes it special—its protected natural beauty.
A model for mindful tourism
San Vicente, described by government planners as “Palawan’s next tourism frontier,” is more than a scenic stop between Puerto Princesa and El Nido. It holds a distinction unlike any other, the country’s first master-planned municipality, declared in 2018 as the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority’s (TIEZA) flagship Tourism Enterprise Zone (TEZ).
The TEZ designation ensures that development follows a deliberate framework built on collaboration among local government, residents, and private investors. Zoning, incentives, and environmental safeguards are guided by shared accountability, while the town’s master plan divides San Vicente into eco-tourism, residential, and commercial clusters, encouraging growth that remains in harmony with nature.
To protect its coastlines, San Vicente enforces a shoreline development rule that keeps structures at a responsible distance from the sea, maintaining the natural barriers of mangroves, dunes, and coral reefs. Combined with environmental fees and locally led tourism programs, this approach reflects how conservation here is achieved through cooperation, not control.
Local initiatives reinforce this same spirit. The traditional fishing method Keger restricts fine-mesh nets to protect young fish and coral nurseries, while community festivals and livelihood projects integrate sustainability into everyday life.
Paragua Coastown: Sustainable investment in action
This shared vision extends to Megaworld’s Paragua Coastown, a 462-hectare eco-tourism township in Barangay Kemdeng, near Long Beach. It is Megaworld’s first eco-tourism township and represents a P40-billion investment to be developed over the next decade.
Designed in line with Palawan’s environmental framework, Paragua Coastown blends residential, commercial, and hospitality spaces under a low-impact master plan. Upcoming developments include Savoy Hotel Palawan (opening 2028), Paragua Sands Hotel (2029), and the Mercato Shophouse and Porto Boutique Hotel Districts, designed to nurture local enterprise and tourism-linked livelihoods.
Beyond its architecture, the township prioritizes mangrove preservation, rainwater harvesting systems, and natural buffers that protect the coastline. It embodies San Vicente’s vision of progress through partnership, where private investment complements, rather than replaces, community stewardship.
Through initiatives like these, San Vicente is steadily emerging as a model for sustainable, master-planned tourism, proving that thoughtful design and environmental integrity can coexist.
Key Destinations in San Vicente
While Long Beach remains its crown jewel, San Vicente offers a rich mix of natural and cultural attractions:
- Port Barton: A coastal village known for its calm turquoise waters, island-hopping adventures, and strong community tourism programs.
- Boayan Island: The largest island in San Vicente, with lush forests, secluded coves, and vibrant coral ecosystems.
- Alimanguan Beach: A quiet western barangay with panoramic sunsets and community-run marine sanctuaries.
- New Agutaya: A gateway to Long Beach where homestays, eco-lodges, and local markets thrive beside coconut groves.
- Inandeng River: A mangrove-lined waterway that supports biodiversity, eco-tours, and sustainable aquaculture.
Keeping Palawan’s promise
Palawan, the country’s largest province and a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserve, remains celebrated as the Philippines’ Last Ecological Frontier. Yet, amid its global acclaim, San Vicente shows that true progress is not measured by expansion but by collaboration.
Here, sustainability is not a finished project but an ongoing partnership, one that relies on shared purpose, patience, and accountability.
San Vicente’s story is proof that development and preservation can go hand in hand. With every carefully drawn plan, mangrove protected, and community empowered, Palawan’s promise endures, not by chance, but by choice.
Why San Vicente?
- First TIEZA master-planned municipality
- Protected and preserved coastline
- Strategic gateway in Palawan’s northwest corridor
- Longest white-sand stretch in the Philippines
- Paragua Coastown’s P40B eco-tourism vision
- Progress through community collaboration
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